Caser
Moderator
So, it's that time of the year again and, as it has been in recent years, I tried to make a small write-up about this year's draft available Russian prospect pool. This year I'd say I ended up with more of an overview than rankings itself, but why not? I must say that since there isn't a lot of consensus in the rankings this year I kind of felt less psychological pressure and tried to fully make use of that additional freedom here. I still tried to guess which teams could be interested in the top guys there, but don't take that "prediction" too serious, it's just for fun. Also as every year for me it also will be interesting, who will be the "Who's that?" guy this year.
I was hoping that this year I won't have to write about the so-called Russian factor, but the NHL decision to skip the Olympics brought it to life again, as KHL teams obviously will exploit the 'Why you need to hurry, wait until they put the Olympics participation into the CBA' argument heavily (and you can't really blame them). So yes, I think that NHL team bosses shot themselves in the leg with that decision.
About the write-up itself, it has been made as a Top61, which should lead to a simple question "Why exactly 61?". Actually it should've been a Top60, but since Toronto decided not to sign Korostelev, he is now reentering the draft, so that made it 61. It's not exactly compact, so obviously there is no need to go through all of the rankings, if you're not a Russian prospect geek. Also I definitely need to apologize as this year I had even less time to watch prospects than last year, which definitely had an impact on the quality of the write-up, especially regarding NA-based prospects (for obvious reasons). That kind of puts some responsibilities on your side to make some input too.
You can also see that the top guys got much more attention and description from me than others and those bottom ranked guys' description is very 'in brief' here — that's just because I've ran out of stamina towards the end of the ranking.
That's about it, please prepare your feedback, in any way you prefer it.
1. Klim Kostin (RW/LW; 6'3" 207 lbs; Dynamo Moskva, KHL/Dynamo Balashikha, VHL/HK MVD Balashikha, MHL)
Kostin's value is that he basically holds a full package: skating, size, hands, shot, smarts, vision, physicality, leadership, willingness to play a 200+ foot game — what else would you possibly wish for a potential top line power winger to have? What I would like to note separately that he got what I like to call an 'offense generating' talent (possibly that is something similar to the definition of 'gamebreaking talent', but I'm not sure) — he is the guy you want to see on the ice when your team needs to score. On a weak side there is, of course, the shoulder injury that ruled him out for 5 months, also he needs to improve acceleration and to me it looks like that in terms of defensive game, he is more willing to play it than actually knows how to do it. I'd also say he needs to learn that he can't circle around the whole opposite team in pro hockey (at least not three circles in a row), as it might cause turnovers. Also despite being 6'3" and 207 lbs he still has room to fill up his frame, but as I'm writing all this, I can't get away from the thought that most of those described weaknesses (except maybe the injury, if it still has an impact in the future) are pretty easily fixable. Another popular topic for discussions is consistency, but I personally don't see a ground for those, as despite not having fancy stats, I see Kostin generating offense almost in every game and I think stats will come with that kind of attitude. Talking about comparisons, Kostin's agent compared him to Patrik Laine, to me he is more like an upgraded version of Yegor Korshkov.
Kostin's KHL contract runs two more years and I'd say if everything goes well, he might be good enough to play top-six role in the NHL already after that, although at the Combine Kostin told that plans to cross the pond already this summer, so it's really hard to tell what happens next. About the predictions, let's say that Tampa at 14th spot looks good enough, at least Kostin himself wouldn't like any other prediction.
2. Nikita Popugaev (LW; 6'5.5" 203 lbs; Prince George Cougars, WHL)
Popugaev is really big, got good hands, is pretty mobile and with a heavy shot —I guess I don't need to comment about the value anymore here, as top-six potential is definitely there. There have been quite some discussion about his skating and to my eye it is far from perfect in terms of the stride, but is very good in terms of edgework, which makes him pretty mobile and agile on smaller distances. And again, it's good to remember that we are discussing skating of someone, who is over 6'5". Another issue with him is that he doesn't use his size enough (possibly needs to gain some upper body muscle strength) and seems to be not the hardest working guy and overall there is an impression that his attitude is a bit immature. While that description of his attitude would make him a classical boom-or-bust, I'd like to remind that he is a hockey player's son and those kind of fathers usually take care of attitude issues pretty well.
There was a rumor that Popugaev might leave WHL for Russia this summer, but I think his future will fully depend on the agreement with the team that will draft him.I think that there still is a good chance he gets picked in the end of the first, for example, Nashville looks like a legit candidate to me. Sounds like my hopes were too high, Carolina in the second looks much more realistic.
3. Alexei Lipanov (C/W; 6'0" 169 lbs;Dynamo Balashikha, VHL/HK MVD Balashikha, MHL Barrie Colts, OHL)
Lipanov is a playmaking center with very soft hands and he uses those well to deliver the puck anywhere he wants. Good skater, although not exactly "flying", as I think recently he might have lost a bit of his mobility due to gaining some muscles pretty intensively (I still remember how much smaller he was just a year ago). Noticeably improved his defensive game and face-offs during this season, which makes him much more of an all-around player now and he showed that at the U18 WJC this year. In terms of comparisons Lipanov kind of reminded me of Igor Larionov, so basically I see a very competent second line center upside here.
Lipanov is contracted with Dynamo, but still there are some rumors that Barrie Colts management will be willing to reunite him with Svechnikov next year. Upd: signed with Barrie Colts. I think middle of the second round would be a realistic prediction for the draft day, somewhere around the Islanders pick, although I think this is the case where there could be a lot of teams that would like him enough to go with a higher pick than that.
4. Maksim Zhukov (GK; 6'2" 194 lbs; Green Bay Gamblers, USHL)
Zhukov has got all the size, athleticism and mobility that you'd want to see in a goalie prospect, but the consistency is something that he is yet to learn, as he can go from outstanding to bad during a single game, not even mentioning longer time spans. It's a very complicated stuff, but I'd say that the issue here might be in the field of psychology, which is very important for goalies. Also the rebound control is not there, but it's kind of a common issue with young goalies. As a comparison, Zhukov somehow reminds me of Nikolai Khabiboulin, I think he got the same game-winning upside, but the bust risk is definitely notable too.
Hard to predict where he will be drafted, as goalies have basically their own draft, but 3rd round would seem about right to me, as for the teams, Las Vegas will need to create a goalie prospect pipeline from the scratch, so it could be them.
5. Ivan Chekhovich (LW; 5'10" 172 lbs; Baie-Comeau Drakkar, QMJHL)
Chekhovich is an impersonation of the phrase "nose for the puck" — wherever the puck is, you can expect Chekhovich to appear there (even if he wasn't on the ice at all at that time): forecheck, backcheck, being a rebound magnet — it's all about him. Chekhovich is really skilled, also he is a good skater and got a good shot, although I think it would be good to add some explosiveness in those components, also some more strength definitely would help. Looking at the kind of hockey sense Chekhovich possesses I really can't avoid a Kucherov comparison.
Judging by the rankings, 3rd round is somewhere Chekhovich should go, although to be honest I wouldn't be shy to reach for him even in the second if I'd be a GM. Montreal have some picks in that region, so possibly they might be interested.
6. Dmitriy Samorukov (LHD; 6'2" 184 lbs; Guelph Storm, OHL)
In my opinion, the best adjective to describe Samorukov is "dynamic": he is a very good skater and is great at shifting the attacking tempo up with his creative transitional play. His shot, passing and skills just oozes danger for the defending team, so you can see that there is quite some puckmoving D potential (probably more of a second pairing though). The issue here is with defensive abilities: while Samorukov totally doesn't mind to play physically, every other aspect of his defensive game needs improvements, so we're basically talking about putting those tools into a proper toolbox. Samorukov reminds me of Yegor Rykov, as he had similar issues at that age, but was able to successfully overcome those. I think he is worth of a third round pick, for example I can imagine that Tampa might be looking for someone like him.
7. Artyom Minulin (RHD; 6'2" 198 lbs; Swift Current Broncos, WHL)
Minulin is a big RHD with a good pass and a heavy slapper, although his mobility needs some work. Not shy to use his size, but also I'd say that the overall defensive awareness is still in need of some polishing, decision making also needs some work. The main issue is the mobility part — Minulin is often looking for something interesting in the offensive zone, but without good skating it's hard to count on him as a full-time puckmover, which definitely lowers his draft stock. From what I've seen from him, he kind of reminded me of a smaller version of Ziyat Paigin. Detroit currently has four picks in the third round, one of those got to be a Russian - c'mon, it's Detroit after all, so why not Minulin.
8. Pavel Koltygin (C/LW; 6'0" 192 lbs; Drummondville Voltigeurs, QMJHL)
Koltygin used to be considered the top talent of this age group just a year and a half ago and although his development curve didn't let him to stay in that position, he still holds quite some value as a good skating and overall athletic two-way center with an above average offensive potential. Consistency is definitely something that is not there at least yet, also I think he can become better at the dot. As for the draft stock, I'd pick him somewhere around the start of the 4-th round, for example, I think Vegas definitely could use that kind of upside for the cost of a 4th round pick.
9. Alexei Toropchenko (RW; 6'3" 187 lbs; Dynamo Balashikha, VHL/HK MVD Balashikha, MHL)
Toropchenko's impressive skating and size (I actually had an impression he might be even bigger than listed) combination is definitely something that will attract NHL scouts. Despite not the best stats, he looked very good at the U18 WJC where he more or less successfully trying to be a poor man's Kostin. Really can protect the puck with his frame and carry it to the offensive zone. Got a good slapper, but overall his hands need work (it's disappointing to see how often he loses the puck due to under par stickhandling after carrying it for so long) and I'd say his acceleration and defensive game too. I tried to think about which team would he suit better, but I have a feeling that basically every team would be quite happy to get a guy like him in the 4th round, as he got a middle-six winger potential written all over him, Flyers got three picks in a row there, I'd think there could be interest from their side.
10. Kirill Slepets (RW/C; 5'10" 154 lbs; Loko Yaroslavl, MHL)
With Slepets we again are talking about the offense generating talent — you have to really watch out when he gets the puck in the offensive zone, as he holds a nice blend of skating, great hands and creativity, also at the U18 WJC he showed himself as a clutch player calmly scoring exactly when it was needed the most. The issue here is the curious case of Kirill Slepets: he looked great (at least for his age) in the U18 NT project last season, then somehow he played an annoyingly low-intensity game in the first half of this season and then in the second half of the season he got back to the normal self and looked great again. Since I didn't find any explanation to that kind of transformations, it is kind of worrisome. Additionally size and physicality are not there, although surprisingly he seems to feel very comfortable when fighting for the puck along the boards. Capitals currently have their first pick at the end of the 4th round, I can think that Slepets might be the most intriguing player left at that point.
11. Andrei Svetlakov (C; 6'0" 203 lbs; CSKA Moskva, KHL/Zvezda Chekhov, VHL; 3 year overager)
My opinion was and is that Svetlakov should've been drafted last year and he just proved it to me this season, as he continued his progress and became a Russia NT regular. Svetlakov is a competent two-way center, strong at face-offs, his gritty playing style is something that opponents really hate. On the other hand with his playing style he already has earned himself a concussion history. Also he is contracted with CSKA for the next 3 years, which means that if he gets drafted, it will be done by a GM who is not afraid to lose his position in the nearest time, for example like in case of Toronto or Chicago so for that reason I don't expect him to be picked higher than the later rounds.
12. Mark Rubinchik (LHD; 6'0" 185 lbs; Saskatoon Blades, WHL)
I really can't make up my mind on Rubinchik: on one hand I like his cerebral playing style, on the other hand I can't get rid of the feeling that he needs to think in a much higher tempo (actually I'd say he needs to do everything faster). Rubinchik also likes to place some hard hits, but I'm also not confident that he will be able to translate it to the pro level with his rather modest size. As a bonus, Rubinchik looks pretty comfortable playing at both D sides. With that being said I think he can be a good 4th or 5th round pick investment for teams like Buffalo or Florida.
13. Ivan Kosorenkov (LW/RW; 6'0" 181 lbs; Victoriaville Tigres, QMJHL; 1 year overage)
Kosorenkov's bread and butter is his goal-scoring ability: he is a very calm and confident executor plus he got good hands and skating and got the nose for the goalscoring opportunities. His shooting percentage this season was 22.4% which might lead to a thought that he is just lucky, but then I'd like to remind that last year in MHL he had similar numbers. With that being said, I don't view him as a standalone offense generator, someone definitely needs to deliver the puck to him, also he is not the guy you would like to see defending. Had an impression that Chicago might be looking for this kind of sniping wingers with one of their 5th round picks.
14. Denis Smirnov (LW/RW; 5'10" 185 lbs; Penn State Univ., NCAA; 2 year overage)
Smirnov sees the ice well and got very good hands, not to mention his production in the NCAA this season, but his size is an issue and also he really could be a better skater for his size. Obvious candidate for Smirnov would be Pittsburgh (they got some picks in the 5th), because it's Penn State, you know.
15. Kirill Ustimenko (GK; 6'3" 179 lbs; MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg, MHL)
Ustimenko is a big, calm and confident goalie with a good mobility. Looks like he isn't exactly into the highlight reel saves, but stops what he should stop and even rebound control looks pretty solid for his age. So, if we compare him to Zhukov, I feel that while Ustimenko doesn't have a huge upside, he is a much safer pick. Had an impression that he would look good in New Jersey's goalie prospect pool.
16. Alexander Polunin (LW; 5'9" 172 lbs; Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, KHL; 2 year overage)
Polunin's biggest assets are skating and laser shot. The issues are his size (although I think he plays bigger than his size) and the fact that he looked a bit lost at the WJC smaller rink. Polunin is rather famous for a great chemistry with Kraskovskiy and Korshkov, so possibly Winnipeg or Toronto might have him on their late round shortlists.
17. Kirill Maksimov (LW; 6'2" 190 lbs; Niagara IceDogs, OHL)
Maksimov is a speedy and athletic sniper, but I'm not really confident about his overall hockey sense and vision, that's why he is rather low in my rankings. On the other hand, being oriented on shooting the puck isn't such a bad thing, but you have to understand what to expect from him and how to use him.
18. Daniil Vovchenko (LW/RW; 5'10" 172 lbs; Severstal Cherepovets, KHL; 3 year overage)
Vovchenko was on the radar as a dynamic small winger with a quick release for quite a long time, but this season he finally made a breakthrough and to me it looks like he mainly stepped up in terms of understanding the game, which resulted in him leading the scoring among the draft available KHL guys.
19. Yaroslav Alexeyev (LW/RW; 5'11" 152 lbs; Sherbrooke Phoenix, QMJHL)
Alexeyev is a quick winger both in terms of skating and hands, but also is quite undersized (to say the least), in that way he reminds me of Sergei Tolchinsky. While overall Alexeyev had a decent season, his draft stock was hurt by a disappointing U18 WJC performance this year. Still I think he can be selected by someone, who isn't afraid to go for the skill in the late rounds, for example, a team like San Jose.
20. Daniil Skorikov (LW; 6'3" 174 lbs; Tolpar Ufa, MHL)
Despite his MHL production being quite modest (he really had tough times finding his game this season), his body and skillset is something that scouts are looking for: tall, with a good frame, good skater, great shot and with an overall ability to create havoc on the opposite team's defense. I think such an athletic winger would be a good fit for a team like Flyers.
21. Georgiy Ivanov (C/W; 6'0" 187 lbs; Loko Yaroslavl, MHL)
Talking about modest point production, Ivanov's case is much more trivial: they don't give you points for successful screens (not to mention that I'm kind of doubting they are too accurate with deflections in junior leagues). Ivanov got a great lower body strength that allows him to win face-offs and board battles and to be almost unmovable from the front of the net; upper body strength is definitely fine too. Not a great skater, but I think he got a good acceleration and good vision. Also is useful at defensive end, although I'm not sure if he got what it takes to play at the center position on the pro level, as his playmaking ability and overall offensive upside doesn't seem to be too high, I'd say a permanent switch to the wing might be beneficial here. I certainly like his game, but I think lack of exposure is hurting his draft stock badly.
22. Ivan Prosvetov (GK; 6'5" 185 lbs; Minnesota Magicians, NAHL)
To be honest, I didn't see Prosvetov in action, but being 6'5" (and possibly still growing) and posting good NAHL numbers automatically makes him a legit draft candidate. Is expected to play for Youngstown Phantoms in the USHL next season. I think Prosvetov would look good in Buffalo jersey somewhere around round 5-to-7.
23. Igor Shvyryov (C; 6'0" 205 lbs; Metallurg Magnitogorsk, KHL/Stalnie Lisy Magnitogorsk, MHL; 1 year overage)
Shvyryov is quite well known for an undrafted MHL player: his skating and passing are really smooth and his style of play is pretty flashy and creative. He has been basically dominant in MHL this season, but I'd really like to see how he handles competition more serious than MHL, especially in terms of physicality.
24. Nikita Korostelev (LW/RW; 6'1" 201 lbs; Peterborough Petes, OHL)
I'm not even sure if I should write anything here, as Korostelev is reentering the draft two years after he had been selected by the Leafs and therefore is pretty well known. Good hands and shot, average skating... did I forget anything? I heard somewhere he might be going back to Russia for the next season though.
25. Danil Yurtaikin (LW; 5'11" 170 lbs; HK Ryazan, VHL/Loko Yaroslavl, MHL; 2 year overage)
Yurtaikin got a good set of hands and is a very impressive skater, I'd even compare him with some of the old school speedsters like Max Afinogenov and Valeri Bure. Not physical enough and isn't a great shooter, but this kind of skating can get him on the draft boards with the speedy style of play in NHL nowadays.
26. Alexei Melnichuk (GK; 6'1" 181 lbs; SKA-Neva St. Petersburg, VHL/SKA-1946 St. Petersburg, MHL; 1 year overage)
After losing almost all of his family in a horrible car crash 3 years ago Melnichuk didn't give up and is now posting Shestyorkin-like numbers in the VHL while being just 18, I think you can agree that it's really hard not to root for this kid. He is not too big (even more, I'd say he plays smaller than his size) with issues related to that (top shelf and being screened), but is pretty mobile with great reflexes and calm in the net.
27. Andrei Kuzmenko (LW/RW; 5'11" 203 lbs; CSKA Moskva, KHL/Zvezda Chekhov, VHL/Krasnaya Armiya Moskva, MHL; 3 year overage)
Another triple-overager that had a breakout year, Kuzmenko noticeably gained some power and confidence and finally converted his talents (good frame, skating and hands) into the production both in VHL and KHL. Similarly to Svetlakov, he also got 3 more years on his KHL deal, so that hurts his draft stock pretty seriously.
28. Pavel Shen (LW/C; 6'0" 179 lbs; Mamonty Yugry, MHL)
Shen's main assets are very good athleticism, skating and his high-energy playing style. Looks like he should work on his hands, body usage and defensive game. Looked very good at the Five Nations Tournament in February, although aside from that I think he didn't have a lot of exposure to NHL scouts.
29. Dmitriy Rodionychev (RHD; 6'3" 229 lbs; Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, KHL/HK Sarov, VHL/Chaika Nizhny Novgorod, MHL)
Rodionychev is a big RHD who has already gathered some pro hockey experience in KHL and VHL this season. To be honest, it's pretty hard to rate him at the current point of his development, as he wasn't given too much responsibilities there (more of a play-it-safe role), but I had an impression that he is pretty reliable, but needs to add in the mobility department.
30. Danila Kvartalnov (C/W; 6'1" 183 lbs; SKA St. Petersburg, KHL; 2 years overage)
Kvartalnov has showed himself as a team-first guy: he is able to contribute offensively, but is also able to sacrifice his offense to make all the dirty work for his line. Was looking really good at the CAN/RUS Series, although in the WJC he has been the invisible hard-working guy on Guryanov's line.
31. Mikhail Sidorov (RHD; 6'0" 214 lbs; Ak Bars Kazan, KHL; 2 years overage)
Sidorov might seem to be not big at all, but he is built like a wrecking ball, which allows him to challenge guys much bigger than himself. Sidorov is a RHD, defense-first, although he is able to contribute to the offense too. Getting a more or less regular place in AkBars team's lineup (they're famous for being a defensive-minded team) is basically self-descriptional to his defensive game.
32. Andrei Altybarmakyan (RW/LW; 5'10" 183 lbs; SKA-Neva St. Petersburg, VHL/Serebryanye Lvy St. Petersburg, MHL; 1 year overage)
Aside from the cool name, Altybarmakyan is a high-intensity winger that has great hands, good skating and understanding of the game. On the other hand, he is more of a complimentary player and isn't too great on the defensive end. Also he is not the biggest guy there, although his body looks pretty stocky, yet some more muscles should be added there.
33. Denis Mikhnin (RW; 5'10" 168 lbs; Rimouski Oceanic, QMJHL)
Mikhnin possesses a really great skillset and was one of the leaders in QMJHL in 'points/equal-strength-minutes' parameter, although I had an impression that he relies on his own too much (not sure if it is good or bad with a skillset like that). His weakness is his physicality and also there are talks that an undersized player like him could skate a bit better.
34. Daniil Tarasov (GK; 6'3" 154 lbs; Tolpar Ufa, MHL)
After the 2016 U18 WJC Tarasov was considered to be a modern styled big-yet-lanky (and therefore mobile and flexible) goalie with a pretty realistic possibility to become this draft's top goalie. Unfortunately a knee injury ruled him out for this season, so now we have no idea what to expect from him (not to mention that it is a rather big question mark on his career). Still it is not unrealistic that some team might want to spend a late-round pick for him: just in case he will emerge in becoming the new Bobrovsky, this draft is not too strong anyway.
35. Alexander Yaremchuk (C; 5'10" 170 lbs; Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk, KHL/Mamonty Yugry, MHL)
Yaremchuk is a hard-working center with good skating and shot, although I'm not sure if that package itself can be enough to take him to the next level, in terms of both offensive and defensive awareness. Nevertheless he already debuted in the KHL and got a pretty solid icetime in games he played there.
36. Alexander Volkov (LW; 6'1" 192 lbs; SKA-Neva St. Petersburg, VHL/SKA-1946 St. Petersburg, MHL; 2 year overager)
Volkov was one of the most impressive players of the CAN/RUS Series as he was dynamic and contributed well in all 200ft of the ice in all situations. Unfortunately he got injured right before the WJC, so his exposure was quite limited.
37. Artur Tyanulin (RW; 5'10" 174 lbs; Ottawa 67's, OHL; 2 year overager)
One of the best playmakers and stickhandlers in the OHL this season, Tyanulin posted very good numbers, but still showed some inconsistency and far from perfect defensive game, as well as the obvious lack of physicality. Looks like he will be looking for a return to Russia this summer, so his draft chances aren't looking to be too high.
38. Kirill Urakov (RW; 6'1" 187 lbs; Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, KHL; 2 year overage)
Urakov fought hard and aggressive like a pitbull both at the CAN/RUS Series and WJC and certainly made a reputation for himself as a good all-around winger. Not exactly too much of the attacking upside, but isn't useless there either.
39. Veniamin Baranov (LHD; 6'1" 198 lbs; MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg, MHL)
Baranov looked very interesting at the WJAC this season: reliable and physical at D and pretty creative in the offensive zone, but couldn't keep up his level of play at the other junior tournaments.
40. Kirill Koshurnikov (RW; 5'11" 183 lbs; Chelmet Chelyabinsk, VHL/Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk, MHL; 1 year overage)
Koshurnikov is another dynamic skating and high-energy player that might have caught some scout eyes in case they deeply scouted VHL/MHL.
41. Grigoriy Dronov (LHD; 6'2" 207 lbs; Metallurg Magnitogorsk, KHL; 1 year overage)
Dronov is a naturally gifted defenseman, as he is physical, mobile and isn't shy to place a hard shot on goal. The issue is that he is quite error prone and also takes bad penalties a bit too much, that's why I wouldn't be surprised that scouts and GMs would prefer waiting another year to see where his development goes.
42. Yegor Zaitsev (LHD; 6'0" 185 lbs; Dynamo Moskva, KHL/Dynamo Balashikha, VHL; 1 year overage)
More or less everything that I wrote about Dronov applies to Zaitsev too (e.g. he is gifted, but error prone), placing Dronov a bit higher in my rankings though due to his size and WJC experience.
43. Vladimir Kuznetsov (LW/RW; 6'2" 208 lbs; Acadie-Bathurst Titan, QMJHL; 1 year overage)
Kuznetsov got undrafted last year due to the skating issues and looks like those are still there, although to me he looked more physically matured this year.
44. Nikita Anokhovskiy (C; 6'0" 176 lbs; Loko Yaroslavl, MHL)
Anokhovskiy plays a good cerebral two-way game, but didn't exactly get the responsibilities to show if he is capable of something more. Reminds me a bit of Pavel Kraskovskiy.
45. Pavel Voronkov (RW; 6'0" 181 lbs; Avto Yekaterinburg, MHL)
I was pretty high on Voronkov in the middle of the season as he mesmerized me with some fancy backhand moves and creativity in the attacking zone, but unfortunately the second half of the season wasn't that impressive at all.
46. Daniil Kurashov (LHD; 6'2" 172 lbs; Admiral Vladivostok, KHL; 1 year overage)
One of the rare cases when a 18 year old defenseman gets a decent KHL icetime, Kurashov is a hard working physically gifted stay-at-home guy. His season got a bit spoiled though due to a lower body injury he got in December.
47. Alexander Oskin (RW/LW; 6'3" 183 lbs; Tolpar Ufa, MHL)
Local Ufa fans compared Oskin to Ivan Telegin and I can say that there is definitely something big and gritty about that comparison.
48. Vladislav Syomin (LHD; 6'3" 214 lbs; SKA-1946 St. Petersburg, MHL; 1 year overage)
This Syomin doesn't have the skill, but is a stay-at-home guy who hits hard and painfully with all of his 214 lbs.
49. Vladislav Sukhachyov (GK; 5'10.5" 181 lbs; Chelmet Chelyabinsk, VHL; 1 year overage)
Sukhachyov's case is pretty clear: undersized goalie with a lot of mobility and aggressive style of play. Had a very good first half of the season until an injury sidelined him for the second half. Still worth mentioning here, as he still is the main candidate for the starter's position at the next WJC.
50. Denis Alexeyev (C; 6'0" 183 lbs; Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, KHL; 1 year overage)
Gifted in terms of skating and overall athleticism, Alexeyev wasn't too good with the U20 NT, but looked pretty interesting in his KHL stint.
51. Daniil Lobanov (RW; 5'11" 161 lbs; Krasnaya Armiya Moskva, MHL)
Lobanov missed the U18 WJC due to an injury at the pre-tournament games, but in the games he played this season he showed that he is a good and defensively reliable role-playing winger.
52. Alexandr Samoilov (GK; 6'2" 179 lbs; Zvezda Chekhov, VHL/Krasnaya Armiya Moskva, MHL; 2 year overage)
Samoilov was rather known for some years now as a talented goalie, but lacking a constant performance level and it looks like he has finally taken steps in the right direction this season.
53. Ivan Kozlov (LW/RW; 6'0" 209 lbs; Val-d'Or Foreurs, QMJHL)
Kozlov is a big strong kid with skating issues, reminds me in that way of Alexander Dergachyov.
54. Dmitriy Lozebnikov (GK; 6'3" 194 lbs; Stalnie Lisy Magnitogorsk, MHL; 1 year overage)
Lozebnikov is a big goalie, who is yet to find the stability in his game, but he looked very promising in the recent Sochi tournament, so I'd keep an eye on him.
55. Marsel Sholokhov (W/C; 5'10" 170 lbs; Traktor Chelyabinsk, KHL/Chelmet Chelyabinsk, VHL/Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk, MHL; 1 year overage)
Sholokhov is a hard working, aggressive and versatile player, who can contribute in almost every position and game situation.
56. Matvei Zaseda (LW/RW; 6'0" 179 lbs; Amur Khabarovsk, KHL/Amurskie Tigry Khabarovsk, MHL)
Athletic player with a well placed and heavy shot, Zaseda is yet to find a proper consistency in his game, although it might be related to the two injuries he got this season.
57. Danil Veryayev (RW/LW; 5'9" 183 lbs; ; Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, KHL/HK Sarov, VHL/Chaika Nizhny Novgorod, MHL; 1 year overage)
Similarly to Polunin, Veryayev is a small, but stocky built winger, although Veryayev is more about the skating than the shot.
58. Nikita Makeyev (RHD; 5'9" 168 lbs; Zvezda Chekhov, VHL/Krasnaya Armiya Moskva, MHL; 1 year overage)
Makeyev is a small RHD with great skating, quick slapshot and some leadership... I mean, we can have our own Jared Spurgeon, right? Makeyev looked very good in the VHL and looks like CSKA Moscow KHL team management have serious plans for him for the next season.
59. Artyom Manukyan (LW; 5'7" 139 lbs; Omskie Yastreby, MHL; 1 year overage)
I basically had to include Manukyan here due to the MHL point record he set, but let's face it: 5'7" is a pretty big question mark on him.
60. Maksim Mizyurin (C; 6'3" 220 lbs; Val-d'Or Foreurs, QMJHL; 1 year overage)
Big center with a two-way potential, although it looks like he has a long way ahead of him to fulfill his talents both in terms of offensive and defensive game.
61. Yegor Voronkov (LHD; 6'0" 187 lbs; Vityaz Podolsk, KHL; 2 year overage)
Voronkov is the type of defenseman, whose job is basically to be unnoticed — doing his D stuff without much errors and being pretty good at it.
The 'Not ranked' update
To be honest it's been plain boring waiting for the draft this year. No, really: a lot of different rankings (sometimes really extravagant ones), not a lot of news or rumors, even at Hfboards team forums I've noticed that this year almost everyone isn't discussing anything deeper than 1st round... and probably it will be this way until BobMcKenzie's rankings are released. So yeah, to fight that boredom and also to get rid of that weird '61' number of prospects, I decided to add 9 guys, who I would describe as 'Not ranked', which means that I have considered those at some point of getting my rankings done, but for different reasons couldn't decide where to rank them and if they should be in my rankings at all. So, here is my 'Not ranked' list (in order of them popping out in my memory):
Alexander Georgiyev (GK; 6'1" 176 lbs; TPS, Liiga; 3 year overage)
I was pretty surprised that no one noticed Georgiyev's omission after he posted such impressive numbers in the Liiga. I really wanted to put him somewhere in my rankings, but I wasn't able to make a decision here because he was pretty bad last season and this season I simply didn't see him (as I've mentioned, I had encountered a pretty serious lack of time resources this season and non-Russian leagues "suffered" from that). Stats are good, but TPS team is also a really strong one and Georgiyev is still a back-up there, so all that combined resulted in the omission from my rankings.
Mikhail Denisov (GK; 6'0" 188 lbs; Shawinigan Cataractes, QMJHL; 1 year overage)
Denisov's numbers might seem not excellent at first sight, but for the QMJHL those actually are excellent, as it is kind of a high-scoring league. But again, as in Georgiyev's case, limited views and also Denisov's modest size gets him to the non-ranked part of my rankings.
Daniil Miromanov (RW; 6'4" 193 lbs; Acadie-Bathurst Titan, QMJHL; 2 year overage)
Miromanov has got the size and is willing to play a two-way game, but similarly to last year, he is still raw and I failed to see much progress in his game during this season.
Yegor Babenko (RW; 5'9" 157 lbs; Lethbridge Hurricanes, WHL; 2 year overage)
Babenko is a skilled undersized winger, who is yet to convince that he got what it takes to play pro hockey. Didn't have a good season, but was noticeable in WHL play-offs, so maybe he reminded about himself to someone.
German Poddubnyi (C/W; 6'1" 183 lbs; Erie Otters, OHL)
Every time I saw Poddubnyi in OHL, he was getting 4th line responsibilities, yet he is still getting some good press, so I'm not exactly sure what even to think of him.
Semyon Perelyayev (LHD; 6'2" 176 lbs; Ladia Togliatti, MHL)
Perelyayev had a good 5 Nations tournament and got some attention there, but at the U18 WJC he was looking far from his best. Physically gifted kid, but with mobility issues and kind of an error prone.
Maksim Marushev (C/W; 6'0" 165 lbs; Irbis Kazan,MHL)
Marushev's case is interesting, as I actually seen quite a lot of him, yet I couldn't make up my mind: I mean, he is a good skater, got more or less decent size and works hard, but is he any better than just 'not bad'?
Kirill Popov (C/W; 6'0" 168 lbs; Mamonty Yugry, MHL)
Basically the same what I wrote about Marushev applies to Popov too (at least in my eyes): he is fine, but is there anything special?
Shamil Shmakov (GK; 6'5" 176 lbs; Sibirskie Snaipery Novosibirsk, MHL)
Shmakov is a young 6'5" tall goalie which makes him a potential draft candidate, but he was basically a third goalie in Novosibirsk MHL team this season, so I'm not sure how to rate him.
Edit: added links to Eliteprospects profiles, so you would have an easy access to players' stats (I didn't want to copy those here).
Edit2: added the 'Not Ranked' part
I was hoping that this year I won't have to write about the so-called Russian factor, but the NHL decision to skip the Olympics brought it to life again, as KHL teams obviously will exploit the 'Why you need to hurry, wait until they put the Olympics participation into the CBA' argument heavily (and you can't really blame them). So yes, I think that NHL team bosses shot themselves in the leg with that decision.
About the write-up itself, it has been made as a Top61, which should lead to a simple question "Why exactly 61?". Actually it should've been a Top60, but since Toronto decided not to sign Korostelev, he is now reentering the draft, so that made it 61. It's not exactly compact, so obviously there is no need to go through all of the rankings, if you're not a Russian prospect geek. Also I definitely need to apologize as this year I had even less time to watch prospects than last year, which definitely had an impact on the quality of the write-up, especially regarding NA-based prospects (for obvious reasons). That kind of puts some responsibilities on your side to make some input too.
You can also see that the top guys got much more attention and description from me than others and those bottom ranked guys' description is very 'in brief' here — that's just because I've ran out of stamina towards the end of the ranking. That's about it, please prepare your feedback, in any way you prefer it.
1. Klim Kostin (RW/LW; 6'3" 207 lbs; Dynamo Moskva, KHL/Dynamo Balashikha, VHL/HK MVD Balashikha, MHL)
Kostin's value is that he basically holds a full package: skating, size, hands, shot, smarts, vision, physicality, leadership, willingness to play a 200+ foot game — what else would you possibly wish for a potential top line power winger to have? What I would like to note separately that he got what I like to call an 'offense generating' talent (possibly that is something similar to the definition of 'gamebreaking talent', but I'm not sure) — he is the guy you want to see on the ice when your team needs to score. On a weak side there is, of course, the shoulder injury that ruled him out for 5 months, also he needs to improve acceleration and to me it looks like that in terms of defensive game, he is more willing to play it than actually knows how to do it. I'd also say he needs to learn that he can't circle around the whole opposite team in pro hockey (at least not three circles in a row), as it might cause turnovers. Also despite being 6'3" and 207 lbs he still has room to fill up his frame, but as I'm writing all this, I can't get away from the thought that most of those described weaknesses (except maybe the injury, if it still has an impact in the future) are pretty easily fixable. Another popular topic for discussions is consistency, but I personally don't see a ground for those, as despite not having fancy stats, I see Kostin generating offense almost in every game and I think stats will come with that kind of attitude. Talking about comparisons, Kostin's agent compared him to Patrik Laine, to me he is more like an upgraded version of Yegor Korshkov.
Kostin's KHL contract runs two more years and I'd say if everything goes well, he might be good enough to play top-six role in the NHL already after that, although at the Combine Kostin told that plans to cross the pond already this summer, so it's really hard to tell what happens next. About the predictions, let's say that Tampa at 14th spot looks good enough, at least Kostin himself wouldn't like any other prediction.
2. Nikita Popugaev (LW; 6'5.5" 203 lbs; Prince George Cougars, WHL)
Popugaev is really big, got good hands, is pretty mobile and with a heavy shot —I guess I don't need to comment about the value anymore here, as top-six potential is definitely there. There have been quite some discussion about his skating and to my eye it is far from perfect in terms of the stride, but is very good in terms of edgework, which makes him pretty mobile and agile on smaller distances. And again, it's good to remember that we are discussing skating of someone, who is over 6'5". Another issue with him is that he doesn't use his size enough (possibly needs to gain some upper body muscle strength) and seems to be not the hardest working guy and overall there is an impression that his attitude is a bit immature. While that description of his attitude would make him a classical boom-or-bust, I'd like to remind that he is a hockey player's son and those kind of fathers usually take care of attitude issues pretty well.
There was a rumor that Popugaev might leave WHL for Russia this summer, but I think his future will fully depend on the agreement with the team that will draft him.
3. Alexei Lipanov (C/W; 6'0" 169 lbs;
Lipanov is a playmaking center with very soft hands and he uses those well to deliver the puck anywhere he wants. Good skater, although not exactly "flying", as I think recently he might have lost a bit of his mobility due to gaining some muscles pretty intensively (I still remember how much smaller he was just a year ago). Noticeably improved his defensive game and face-offs during this season, which makes him much more of an all-around player now and he showed that at the U18 WJC this year. In terms of comparisons Lipanov kind of reminded me of Igor Larionov, so basically I see a very competent second line center upside here.
4. Maksim Zhukov (GK; 6'2" 194 lbs; Green Bay Gamblers, USHL)
Zhukov has got all the size, athleticism and mobility that you'd want to see in a goalie prospect, but the consistency is something that he is yet to learn, as he can go from outstanding to bad during a single game, not even mentioning longer time spans. It's a very complicated stuff, but I'd say that the issue here might be in the field of psychology, which is very important for goalies. Also the rebound control is not there, but it's kind of a common issue with young goalies. As a comparison, Zhukov somehow reminds me of Nikolai Khabiboulin, I think he got the same game-winning upside, but the bust risk is definitely notable too.
Hard to predict where he will be drafted, as goalies have basically their own draft, but 3rd round would seem about right to me, as for the teams, Las Vegas will need to create a goalie prospect pipeline from the scratch, so it could be them.
5. Ivan Chekhovich (LW; 5'10" 172 lbs; Baie-Comeau Drakkar, QMJHL)
Chekhovich is an impersonation of the phrase "nose for the puck" — wherever the puck is, you can expect Chekhovich to appear there (even if he wasn't on the ice at all at that time): forecheck, backcheck, being a rebound magnet — it's all about him. Chekhovich is really skilled, also he is a good skater and got a good shot, although I think it would be good to add some explosiveness in those components, also some more strength definitely would help. Looking at the kind of hockey sense Chekhovich possesses I really can't avoid a Kucherov comparison.
Judging by the rankings, 3rd round is somewhere Chekhovich should go, although to be honest I wouldn't be shy to reach for him even in the second if I'd be a GM. Montreal have some picks in that region, so possibly they might be interested.
6. Dmitriy Samorukov (LHD; 6'2" 184 lbs; Guelph Storm, OHL)
In my opinion, the best adjective to describe Samorukov is "dynamic": he is a very good skater and is great at shifting the attacking tempo up with his creative transitional play. His shot, passing and skills just oozes danger for the defending team, so you can see that there is quite some puckmoving D potential (probably more of a second pairing though). The issue here is with defensive abilities: while Samorukov totally doesn't mind to play physically, every other aspect of his defensive game needs improvements, so we're basically talking about putting those tools into a proper toolbox. Samorukov reminds me of Yegor Rykov, as he had similar issues at that age, but was able to successfully overcome those. I think he is worth of a third round pick, for example I can imagine that Tampa might be looking for someone like him.
7. Artyom Minulin (RHD; 6'2" 198 lbs; Swift Current Broncos, WHL)
Minulin is a big RHD with a good pass and a heavy slapper, although his mobility needs some work. Not shy to use his size, but also I'd say that the overall defensive awareness is still in need of some polishing, decision making also needs some work. The main issue is the mobility part — Minulin is often looking for something interesting in the offensive zone, but without good skating it's hard to count on him as a full-time puckmover, which definitely lowers his draft stock. From what I've seen from him, he kind of reminded me of a smaller version of Ziyat Paigin. Detroit currently has four picks in the third round, one of those got to be a Russian - c'mon, it's Detroit after all, so why not Minulin.
8. Pavel Koltygin (C/LW; 6'0" 192 lbs; Drummondville Voltigeurs, QMJHL)
Koltygin used to be considered the top talent of this age group just a year and a half ago and although his development curve didn't let him to stay in that position, he still holds quite some value as a good skating and overall athletic two-way center with an above average offensive potential. Consistency is definitely something that is not there at least yet, also I think he can become better at the dot. As for the draft stock, I'd pick him somewhere around the start of the 4-th round, for example, I think Vegas definitely could use that kind of upside for the cost of a 4th round pick.
9. Alexei Toropchenko (RW; 6'3" 187 lbs; Dynamo Balashikha, VHL/HK MVD Balashikha, MHL)
Toropchenko's impressive skating and size (I actually had an impression he might be even bigger than listed) combination is definitely something that will attract NHL scouts. Despite not the best stats, he looked very good at the U18 WJC where he more or less successfully trying to be a poor man's Kostin. Really can protect the puck with his frame and carry it to the offensive zone. Got a good slapper, but overall his hands need work (it's disappointing to see how often he loses the puck due to under par stickhandling after carrying it for so long) and I'd say his acceleration and defensive game too. I tried to think about which team would he suit better, but I have a feeling that basically every team would be quite happy to get a guy like him in the 4th round, as he got a middle-six winger potential written all over him, Flyers got three picks in a row there, I'd think there could be interest from their side.
10. Kirill Slepets (RW/C; 5'10" 154 lbs; Loko Yaroslavl, MHL)
With Slepets we again are talking about the offense generating talent — you have to really watch out when he gets the puck in the offensive zone, as he holds a nice blend of skating, great hands and creativity, also at the U18 WJC he showed himself as a clutch player calmly scoring exactly when it was needed the most. The issue here is the curious case of Kirill Slepets: he looked great (at least for his age) in the U18 NT project last season, then somehow he played an annoyingly low-intensity game in the first half of this season and then in the second half of the season he got back to the normal self and looked great again. Since I didn't find any explanation to that kind of transformations, it is kind of worrisome. Additionally size and physicality are not there, although surprisingly he seems to feel very comfortable when fighting for the puck along the boards. Capitals currently have their first pick at the end of the 4th round, I can think that Slepets might be the most intriguing player left at that point.
11. Andrei Svetlakov (C; 6'0" 203 lbs; CSKA Moskva, KHL/Zvezda Chekhov, VHL; 3 year overager)
My opinion was and is that Svetlakov should've been drafted last year and he just proved it to me this season, as he continued his progress and became a Russia NT regular. Svetlakov is a competent two-way center, strong at face-offs, his gritty playing style is something that opponents really hate. On the other hand with his playing style he already has earned himself a concussion history. Also he is contracted with CSKA for the next 3 years, which means that if he gets drafted, it will be done by a GM who is not afraid to lose his position in the nearest time, for example like in case of Toronto or Chicago so for that reason I don't expect him to be picked higher than the later rounds.
12. Mark Rubinchik (LHD; 6'0" 185 lbs; Saskatoon Blades, WHL)
I really can't make up my mind on Rubinchik: on one hand I like his cerebral playing style, on the other hand I can't get rid of the feeling that he needs to think in a much higher tempo (actually I'd say he needs to do everything faster). Rubinchik also likes to place some hard hits, but I'm also not confident that he will be able to translate it to the pro level with his rather modest size. As a bonus, Rubinchik looks pretty comfortable playing at both D sides. With that being said I think he can be a good 4th or 5th round pick investment for teams like Buffalo or Florida.
13. Ivan Kosorenkov (LW/RW; 6'0" 181 lbs; Victoriaville Tigres, QMJHL; 1 year overage)
Kosorenkov's bread and butter is his goal-scoring ability: he is a very calm and confident executor plus he got good hands and skating and got the nose for the goalscoring opportunities. His shooting percentage this season was 22.4% which might lead to a thought that he is just lucky, but then I'd like to remind that last year in MHL he had similar numbers. With that being said, I don't view him as a standalone offense generator, someone definitely needs to deliver the puck to him, also he is not the guy you would like to see defending. Had an impression that Chicago might be looking for this kind of sniping wingers with one of their 5th round picks.
14. Denis Smirnov (LW/RW; 5'10" 185 lbs; Penn State Univ., NCAA; 2 year overage)
Smirnov sees the ice well and got very good hands, not to mention his production in the NCAA this season, but his size is an issue and also he really could be a better skater for his size. Obvious candidate for Smirnov would be Pittsburgh (they got some picks in the 5th), because it's Penn State, you know.
15. Kirill Ustimenko (GK; 6'3" 179 lbs; MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg, MHL)
Ustimenko is a big, calm and confident goalie with a good mobility. Looks like he isn't exactly into the highlight reel saves, but stops what he should stop and even rebound control looks pretty solid for his age. So, if we compare him to Zhukov, I feel that while Ustimenko doesn't have a huge upside, he is a much safer pick. Had an impression that he would look good in New Jersey's goalie prospect pool.
16. Alexander Polunin (LW; 5'9" 172 lbs; Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, KHL; 2 year overage)
Polunin's biggest assets are skating and laser shot. The issues are his size (although I think he plays bigger than his size) and the fact that he looked a bit lost at the WJC smaller rink. Polunin is rather famous for a great chemistry with Kraskovskiy and Korshkov, so possibly Winnipeg or Toronto might have him on their late round shortlists.
17. Kirill Maksimov (LW; 6'2" 190 lbs; Niagara IceDogs, OHL)
Maksimov is a speedy and athletic sniper, but I'm not really confident about his overall hockey sense and vision, that's why he is rather low in my rankings. On the other hand, being oriented on shooting the puck isn't such a bad thing, but you have to understand what to expect from him and how to use him.
18. Daniil Vovchenko (LW/RW; 5'10" 172 lbs; Severstal Cherepovets, KHL; 3 year overage)
Vovchenko was on the radar as a dynamic small winger with a quick release for quite a long time, but this season he finally made a breakthrough and to me it looks like he mainly stepped up in terms of understanding the game, which resulted in him leading the scoring among the draft available KHL guys.
19. Yaroslav Alexeyev (LW/RW; 5'11" 152 lbs; Sherbrooke Phoenix, QMJHL)
Alexeyev is a quick winger both in terms of skating and hands, but also is quite undersized (to say the least), in that way he reminds me of Sergei Tolchinsky. While overall Alexeyev had a decent season, his draft stock was hurt by a disappointing U18 WJC performance this year. Still I think he can be selected by someone, who isn't afraid to go for the skill in the late rounds, for example, a team like San Jose.
20. Daniil Skorikov (LW; 6'3" 174 lbs; Tolpar Ufa, MHL)
Despite his MHL production being quite modest (he really had tough times finding his game this season), his body and skillset is something that scouts are looking for: tall, with a good frame, good skater, great shot and with an overall ability to create havoc on the opposite team's defense. I think such an athletic winger would be a good fit for a team like Flyers.
21. Georgiy Ivanov (C/W; 6'0" 187 lbs; Loko Yaroslavl, MHL)
Talking about modest point production, Ivanov's case is much more trivial: they don't give you points for successful screens (not to mention that I'm kind of doubting they are too accurate with deflections in junior leagues). Ivanov got a great lower body strength that allows him to win face-offs and board battles and to be almost unmovable from the front of the net; upper body strength is definitely fine too. Not a great skater, but I think he got a good acceleration and good vision. Also is useful at defensive end, although I'm not sure if he got what it takes to play at the center position on the pro level, as his playmaking ability and overall offensive upside doesn't seem to be too high, I'd say a permanent switch to the wing might be beneficial here. I certainly like his game, but I think lack of exposure is hurting his draft stock badly.
22. Ivan Prosvetov (GK; 6'5" 185 lbs; Minnesota Magicians, NAHL)
To be honest, I didn't see Prosvetov in action, but being 6'5" (and possibly still growing) and posting good NAHL numbers automatically makes him a legit draft candidate. Is expected to play for Youngstown Phantoms in the USHL next season. I think Prosvetov would look good in Buffalo jersey somewhere around round 5-to-7.
23. Igor Shvyryov (C; 6'0" 205 lbs; Metallurg Magnitogorsk, KHL/Stalnie Lisy Magnitogorsk, MHL; 1 year overage)
Shvyryov is quite well known for an undrafted MHL player: his skating and passing are really smooth and his style of play is pretty flashy and creative. He has been basically dominant in MHL this season, but I'd really like to see how he handles competition more serious than MHL, especially in terms of physicality.
24. Nikita Korostelev (LW/RW; 6'1" 201 lbs; Peterborough Petes, OHL)
I'm not even sure if I should write anything here, as Korostelev is reentering the draft two years after he had been selected by the Leafs and therefore is pretty well known. Good hands and shot, average skating... did I forget anything? I heard somewhere he might be going back to Russia for the next season though.
25. Danil Yurtaikin (LW; 5'11" 170 lbs; HK Ryazan, VHL/Loko Yaroslavl, MHL; 2 year overage)
Yurtaikin got a good set of hands and is a very impressive skater, I'd even compare him with some of the old school speedsters like Max Afinogenov and Valeri Bure. Not physical enough and isn't a great shooter, but this kind of skating can get him on the draft boards with the speedy style of play in NHL nowadays.
26. Alexei Melnichuk (GK; 6'1" 181 lbs; SKA-Neva St. Petersburg, VHL/SKA-1946 St. Petersburg, MHL; 1 year overage)
After losing almost all of his family in a horrible car crash 3 years ago Melnichuk didn't give up and is now posting Shestyorkin-like numbers in the VHL while being just 18, I think you can agree that it's really hard not to root for this kid. He is not too big (even more, I'd say he plays smaller than his size) with issues related to that (top shelf and being screened), but is pretty mobile with great reflexes and calm in the net.
27. Andrei Kuzmenko (LW/RW; 5'11" 203 lbs; CSKA Moskva, KHL/Zvezda Chekhov, VHL/Krasnaya Armiya Moskva, MHL; 3 year overage)
Another triple-overager that had a breakout year, Kuzmenko noticeably gained some power and confidence and finally converted his talents (good frame, skating and hands) into the production both in VHL and KHL. Similarly to Svetlakov, he also got 3 more years on his KHL deal, so that hurts his draft stock pretty seriously.
28. Pavel Shen (LW/C; 6'0" 179 lbs; Mamonty Yugry, MHL)
Shen's main assets are very good athleticism, skating and his high-energy playing style. Looks like he should work on his hands, body usage and defensive game. Looked very good at the Five Nations Tournament in February, although aside from that I think he didn't have a lot of exposure to NHL scouts.
29. Dmitriy Rodionychev (RHD; 6'3" 229 lbs; Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, KHL/HK Sarov, VHL/Chaika Nizhny Novgorod, MHL)
Rodionychev is a big RHD who has already gathered some pro hockey experience in KHL and VHL this season. To be honest, it's pretty hard to rate him at the current point of his development, as he wasn't given too much responsibilities there (more of a play-it-safe role), but I had an impression that he is pretty reliable, but needs to add in the mobility department.
30. Danila Kvartalnov (C/W; 6'1" 183 lbs; SKA St. Petersburg, KHL; 2 years overage)
Kvartalnov has showed himself as a team-first guy: he is able to contribute offensively, but is also able to sacrifice his offense to make all the dirty work for his line. Was looking really good at the CAN/RUS Series, although in the WJC he has been the invisible hard-working guy on Guryanov's line.
31. Mikhail Sidorov (RHD; 6'0" 214 lbs; Ak Bars Kazan, KHL; 2 years overage)
Sidorov might seem to be not big at all, but he is built like a wrecking ball, which allows him to challenge guys much bigger than himself. Sidorov is a RHD, defense-first, although he is able to contribute to the offense too. Getting a more or less regular place in AkBars team's lineup (they're famous for being a defensive-minded team) is basically self-descriptional to his defensive game.
32. Andrei Altybarmakyan (RW/LW; 5'10" 183 lbs; SKA-Neva St. Petersburg, VHL/Serebryanye Lvy St. Petersburg, MHL; 1 year overage)
Aside from the cool name, Altybarmakyan is a high-intensity winger that has great hands, good skating and understanding of the game. On the other hand, he is more of a complimentary player and isn't too great on the defensive end. Also he is not the biggest guy there, although his body looks pretty stocky, yet some more muscles should be added there.
33. Denis Mikhnin (RW; 5'10" 168 lbs; Rimouski Oceanic, QMJHL)
Mikhnin possesses a really great skillset and was one of the leaders in QMJHL in 'points/equal-strength-minutes' parameter, although I had an impression that he relies on his own too much (not sure if it is good or bad with a skillset like that). His weakness is his physicality and also there are talks that an undersized player like him could skate a bit better.
34. Daniil Tarasov (GK; 6'3" 154 lbs; Tolpar Ufa, MHL)
After the 2016 U18 WJC Tarasov was considered to be a modern styled big-yet-lanky (and therefore mobile and flexible) goalie with a pretty realistic possibility to become this draft's top goalie. Unfortunately a knee injury ruled him out for this season, so now we have no idea what to expect from him (not to mention that it is a rather big question mark on his career). Still it is not unrealistic that some team might want to spend a late-round pick for him: just in case he will emerge in becoming the new Bobrovsky, this draft is not too strong anyway.
35. Alexander Yaremchuk (C; 5'10" 170 lbs; Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk, KHL/Mamonty Yugry, MHL)
Yaremchuk is a hard-working center with good skating and shot, although I'm not sure if that package itself can be enough to take him to the next level, in terms of both offensive and defensive awareness. Nevertheless he already debuted in the KHL and got a pretty solid icetime in games he played there.
36. Alexander Volkov (LW; 6'1" 192 lbs; SKA-Neva St. Petersburg, VHL/SKA-1946 St. Petersburg, MHL; 2 year overager)
Volkov was one of the most impressive players of the CAN/RUS Series as he was dynamic and contributed well in all 200ft of the ice in all situations. Unfortunately he got injured right before the WJC, so his exposure was quite limited.
37. Artur Tyanulin (RW; 5'10" 174 lbs; Ottawa 67's, OHL; 2 year overager)
One of the best playmakers and stickhandlers in the OHL this season, Tyanulin posted very good numbers, but still showed some inconsistency and far from perfect defensive game, as well as the obvious lack of physicality. Looks like he will be looking for a return to Russia this summer, so his draft chances aren't looking to be too high.
38. Kirill Urakov (RW; 6'1" 187 lbs; Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, KHL; 2 year overage)
Urakov fought hard and aggressive like a pitbull both at the CAN/RUS Series and WJC and certainly made a reputation for himself as a good all-around winger. Not exactly too much of the attacking upside, but isn't useless there either.
39. Veniamin Baranov (LHD; 6'1" 198 lbs; MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg, MHL)
Baranov looked very interesting at the WJAC this season: reliable and physical at D and pretty creative in the offensive zone, but couldn't keep up his level of play at the other junior tournaments.
40. Kirill Koshurnikov (RW; 5'11" 183 lbs; Chelmet Chelyabinsk, VHL/Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk, MHL; 1 year overage)
Koshurnikov is another dynamic skating and high-energy player that might have caught some scout eyes in case they deeply scouted VHL/MHL.
41. Grigoriy Dronov (LHD; 6'2" 207 lbs; Metallurg Magnitogorsk, KHL; 1 year overage)
Dronov is a naturally gifted defenseman, as he is physical, mobile and isn't shy to place a hard shot on goal. The issue is that he is quite error prone and also takes bad penalties a bit too much, that's why I wouldn't be surprised that scouts and GMs would prefer waiting another year to see where his development goes.
42. Yegor Zaitsev (LHD; 6'0" 185 lbs; Dynamo Moskva, KHL/Dynamo Balashikha, VHL; 1 year overage)
More or less everything that I wrote about Dronov applies to Zaitsev too (e.g. he is gifted, but error prone), placing Dronov a bit higher in my rankings though due to his size and WJC experience.
43. Vladimir Kuznetsov (LW/RW; 6'2" 208 lbs; Acadie-Bathurst Titan, QMJHL; 1 year overage)
Kuznetsov got undrafted last year due to the skating issues and looks like those are still there, although to me he looked more physically matured this year.
44. Nikita Anokhovskiy (C; 6'0" 176 lbs; Loko Yaroslavl, MHL)
Anokhovskiy plays a good cerebral two-way game, but didn't exactly get the responsibilities to show if he is capable of something more. Reminds me a bit of Pavel Kraskovskiy.
45. Pavel Voronkov (RW; 6'0" 181 lbs; Avto Yekaterinburg, MHL)
I was pretty high on Voronkov in the middle of the season as he mesmerized me with some fancy backhand moves and creativity in the attacking zone, but unfortunately the second half of the season wasn't that impressive at all.
46. Daniil Kurashov (LHD; 6'2" 172 lbs; Admiral Vladivostok, KHL; 1 year overage)
One of the rare cases when a 18 year old defenseman gets a decent KHL icetime, Kurashov is a hard working physically gifted stay-at-home guy. His season got a bit spoiled though due to a lower body injury he got in December.
47. Alexander Oskin (RW/LW; 6'3" 183 lbs; Tolpar Ufa, MHL)
Local Ufa fans compared Oskin to Ivan Telegin and I can say that there is definitely something big and gritty about that comparison.
48. Vladislav Syomin (LHD; 6'3" 214 lbs; SKA-1946 St. Petersburg, MHL; 1 year overage)
This Syomin doesn't have the skill, but is a stay-at-home guy who hits hard and painfully with all of his 214 lbs.
49. Vladislav Sukhachyov (GK; 5'10.5" 181 lbs; Chelmet Chelyabinsk, VHL; 1 year overage)
Sukhachyov's case is pretty clear: undersized goalie with a lot of mobility and aggressive style of play. Had a very good first half of the season until an injury sidelined him for the second half. Still worth mentioning here, as he still is the main candidate for the starter's position at the next WJC.
50. Denis Alexeyev (C; 6'0" 183 lbs; Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, KHL; 1 year overage)
Gifted in terms of skating and overall athleticism, Alexeyev wasn't too good with the U20 NT, but looked pretty interesting in his KHL stint.
51. Daniil Lobanov (RW; 5'11" 161 lbs; Krasnaya Armiya Moskva, MHL)
Lobanov missed the U18 WJC due to an injury at the pre-tournament games, but in the games he played this season he showed that he is a good and defensively reliable role-playing winger.
52. Alexandr Samoilov (GK; 6'2" 179 lbs; Zvezda Chekhov, VHL/Krasnaya Armiya Moskva, MHL; 2 year overage)
Samoilov was rather known for some years now as a talented goalie, but lacking a constant performance level and it looks like he has finally taken steps in the right direction this season.
53. Ivan Kozlov (LW/RW; 6'0" 209 lbs; Val-d'Or Foreurs, QMJHL)
Kozlov is a big strong kid with skating issues, reminds me in that way of Alexander Dergachyov.
54. Dmitriy Lozebnikov (GK; 6'3" 194 lbs; Stalnie Lisy Magnitogorsk, MHL; 1 year overage)
Lozebnikov is a big goalie, who is yet to find the stability in his game, but he looked very promising in the recent Sochi tournament, so I'd keep an eye on him.
55. Marsel Sholokhov (W/C; 5'10" 170 lbs; Traktor Chelyabinsk, KHL/Chelmet Chelyabinsk, VHL/Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk, MHL; 1 year overage)
Sholokhov is a hard working, aggressive and versatile player, who can contribute in almost every position and game situation.
56. Matvei Zaseda (LW/RW; 6'0" 179 lbs; Amur Khabarovsk, KHL/Amurskie Tigry Khabarovsk, MHL)
Athletic player with a well placed and heavy shot, Zaseda is yet to find a proper consistency in his game, although it might be related to the two injuries he got this season.
57. Danil Veryayev (RW/LW; 5'9" 183 lbs; ; Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, KHL/HK Sarov, VHL/Chaika Nizhny Novgorod, MHL; 1 year overage)
Similarly to Polunin, Veryayev is a small, but stocky built winger, although Veryayev is more about the skating than the shot.
58. Nikita Makeyev (RHD; 5'9" 168 lbs; Zvezda Chekhov, VHL/Krasnaya Armiya Moskva, MHL; 1 year overage)
Makeyev is a small RHD with great skating, quick slapshot and some leadership... I mean, we can have our own Jared Spurgeon, right? Makeyev looked very good in the VHL and looks like CSKA Moscow KHL team management have serious plans for him for the next season.
59. Artyom Manukyan (LW; 5'7" 139 lbs; Omskie Yastreby, MHL; 1 year overage)
I basically had to include Manukyan here due to the MHL point record he set, but let's face it: 5'7" is a pretty big question mark on him.
60. Maksim Mizyurin (C; 6'3" 220 lbs; Val-d'Or Foreurs, QMJHL; 1 year overage)
Big center with a two-way potential, although it looks like he has a long way ahead of him to fulfill his talents both in terms of offensive and defensive game.
61. Yegor Voronkov (LHD; 6'0" 187 lbs; Vityaz Podolsk, KHL; 2 year overage)
Voronkov is the type of defenseman, whose job is basically to be unnoticed — doing his D stuff without much errors and being pretty good at it.
The 'Not ranked' update
To be honest it's been plain boring waiting for the draft this year. No, really: a lot of different rankings (sometimes really extravagant ones), not a lot of news or rumors, even at Hfboards team forums I've noticed that this year almost everyone isn't discussing anything deeper than 1st round... and probably it will be this way until BobMcKenzie's rankings are released. So yeah, to fight that boredom and also to get rid of that weird '61' number of prospects, I decided to add 9 guys, who I would describe as 'Not ranked', which means that I have considered those at some point of getting my rankings done, but for different reasons couldn't decide where to rank them and if they should be in my rankings at all. So, here is my 'Not ranked' list (in order of them popping out in my memory):
Alexander Georgiyev (GK; 6'1" 176 lbs; TPS, Liiga; 3 year overage)
I was pretty surprised that no one noticed Georgiyev's omission after he posted such impressive numbers in the Liiga. I really wanted to put him somewhere in my rankings, but I wasn't able to make a decision here because he was pretty bad last season and this season I simply didn't see him (as I've mentioned, I had encountered a pretty serious lack of time resources this season and non-Russian leagues "suffered" from that). Stats are good, but TPS team is also a really strong one and Georgiyev is still a back-up there, so all that combined resulted in the omission from my rankings.
Mikhail Denisov (GK; 6'0" 188 lbs; Shawinigan Cataractes, QMJHL; 1 year overage)
Denisov's numbers might seem not excellent at first sight, but for the QMJHL those actually are excellent, as it is kind of a high-scoring league. But again, as in Georgiyev's case, limited views and also Denisov's modest size gets him to the non-ranked part of my rankings.
Daniil Miromanov (RW; 6'4" 193 lbs; Acadie-Bathurst Titan, QMJHL; 2 year overage)
Miromanov has got the size and is willing to play a two-way game, but similarly to last year, he is still raw and I failed to see much progress in his game during this season.
Yegor Babenko (RW; 5'9" 157 lbs; Lethbridge Hurricanes, WHL; 2 year overage)
Babenko is a skilled undersized winger, who is yet to convince that he got what it takes to play pro hockey. Didn't have a good season, but was noticeable in WHL play-offs, so maybe he reminded about himself to someone.
German Poddubnyi (C/W; 6'1" 183 lbs; Erie Otters, OHL)
Every time I saw Poddubnyi in OHL, he was getting 4th line responsibilities, yet he is still getting some good press, so I'm not exactly sure what even to think of him.
Semyon Perelyayev (LHD; 6'2" 176 lbs; Ladia Togliatti, MHL)
Perelyayev had a good 5 Nations tournament and got some attention there, but at the U18 WJC he was looking far from his best. Physically gifted kid, but with mobility issues and kind of an error prone.
Maksim Marushev (C/W; 6'0" 165 lbs; Irbis Kazan,MHL)
Marushev's case is interesting, as I actually seen quite a lot of him, yet I couldn't make up my mind: I mean, he is a good skater, got more or less decent size and works hard, but is he any better than just 'not bad'?
Kirill Popov (C/W; 6'0" 168 lbs; Mamonty Yugry, MHL)
Basically the same what I wrote about Marushev applies to Popov too (at least in my eyes): he is fine, but is there anything special?
Shamil Shmakov (GK; 6'5" 176 lbs; Sibirskie Snaipery Novosibirsk, MHL)
Shmakov is a young 6'5" tall goalie which makes him a potential draft candidate, but he was basically a third goalie in Novosibirsk MHL team this season, so I'm not sure how to rate him.
Edit: added links to Eliteprospects profiles, so you would have an easy access to players' stats (I didn't want to copy those here).
Edit2: added the 'Not Ranked' part
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