Height: 6-1
Weight: 200 lbs.
Born: July 22, 1970 in Moscow, USSR
Drafted: Selected by the New York Rangers in the 11th round (85th pick overall) of the 1990 NHL Entry Draft.
Acquired: Traded by the New York Rangers with Petr Nedved to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Luc Robitaille and Ulf Samuelsson on Aug. 31, 1995.
Tied for second among NHL defensemen in scoring.
Led team defensemen in scoring. Led team in assists.
Ninth in NHL in assists. Missed nine games with sprained neck.
Zubov remains primarily an offenseman, though he is playing a more responsible game in the strict Dallas system. He has the ability to run a power play but is not in the elite class of NHL point men, like Brian Leetch. Zubov is still very effective, though, despite his reluctance to shoot the puck. Zubov has some world-class skills. He skates with with good balance and generates power from his leg drive. He is agile in his stops and starts, even backwards. He also has a good slap shot and one-times the puck with accuracy--when he deigns to use it. He masks his intentions well, faking a shot and finding the open man with a slick pass. He's not afraid to come in deep, either. Zubov will occasionally frustrate his teammates when he slows things down with the puck on a rush or breakout while the rest of the team has already taken off like racehorses. Zubov has very strong lateral acceleration, but he is also educated enough to keep skating stride for stride with the wing who is trying to beat him to the outside. So many other defensemen speed up a couple of strides then try to slow their men with stick checks. Zubov will use his reach, superior body positioning or his agility to force the play and compel the puck carrier to make a decision. However, he doesn't always search out the right man or, when he does, he doesn't always eliminate the right man. A team has to live with that because Zubov's offensive upside is huge.
Zubov is not physical, but he is solidly built and will take a hit to make a play. He can give a team a lot of minutes and not wear down physically. His boyhood idol was Viacheslav Fetisov, and that role model should give you some idea of Zubov's style. He gets his body in the way with his great skating, then strips the puck when the attacker finds no path to the net. He doesn't initiate much but doesn't mind getting hit to make a play.
Zubov was involved in a sad off-ice incident after the playoffs in which he was charged with assault of his wife. Legally, matters were expected to be settled before the season started.
As the Stars' top offensive defenseman, Zubov should score between 50 to 60 points this season.
