Nikolai Antropov

Mike York

At 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, Antropov, who turns 20 in February, is built much like the big, prototypical player in the NHL. Four years from now, he should grow into his body more and become a 230-pounder. There are so many players showing up with his kind of size. They still have the speed and skills to go along with their size. And so far, Antropov has shown he has good hands and is learning how to get scoring chances in the NHL.

I admire Antropov and other young players from Russia and Europe who come to the U.S. and Canada and have to deal with the cultural changes while at the same time learning how to play in the NHL. The Maple Leafs deserve credit for bringing Antropov along slowly and teaching him the game while having enough confidence to keep him on the team. He is still feeling his way around.

Overt the long term, Antropov's range and size are a huge advantage when he is matched up against York, who is only 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds. Reach, size and leverage are big parts of the game. York might max out at 190 pounds in his career, but that's still giving away eight inches in height and nearly 50 pounds, when Antropov reaches his full weight.

Nevertheless, York has shown more maturity and a better all-around knowledge of the game than Antropov. At 22, he is two years older and has the advantage of playing four years of college hockey at Michigan State. I really like York's well-rounded game, as do the Rangers. Covering the NCAAs last year, most people at the tournament felt York had the best chance of making the transition to the pro game, and they were right.

People liken York to Steve Yzerman -- how Yzerman plays now, not when he first came into the league. York doesn't quite have Yzerman's skills, but he does have very soft hands and is an excellent playmaker. He is so aware of the all-around game and defense; he works on all areas and is a quick study. Last week, I talked to Theo Fleury, who said York was getting killed on faceoffs at the beginning of the year. But he worked and worked and spent extra time. Now, Fleury said, York is already twice or three times better because of effort, study and smarts. A willingness to work on little things like faceoffs shows the type of mentality York has.

You can argue that York's linemates -- Fleury and Adam Graves -- give him an advantage, but playing with such quality players can also add tremendous pressure if he can't play at their level. As the league's second-leading rookie scorer, York is already proving he can produce like a veteran who has been in the league a half-dozen years.

York will need to be a well-rounded, intelligent player to compensate for his size disadvantage against the likes of Antropov. It's easier to predict what type of player York will be, but Antropov is more of a mystery because of his age. He needs to find himself and get used to the culture. He has more off-ice obstacles to overcome. But Antropov has tremendous hands and instincts for the game, especially offensively. Time will tell if he can turn his physical attributes into something special.

Brian Engblom is a color commentator and analyst for ESPN's NHL coverage. He played 11 seasons in the NHL.