Prospect Info: 2023 Draft #6: D Dimitri Simashev

[TheLegend]

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[JasonDemersWasOkay]

Garbage

 

[justin323032]

Clearly I don't know anything, but why are you literally reaching at 6 when you have 12 and tons of draft capital to potentially trade up? Sad days.

 

[Freddy Sjostrom]

 

[sundance74]

wow, this was unexpected... well, he must be good, right?

 

[Alberta Yote]

Boo

 

[MIGs Dog]

Well, he's 6'4", so this fits the pattern.

 

[awfulwaffle]

In GMBA I trust.

 

[Bondurant]

I cannot comment as I only know a handful of names. Yotes getting roasted in online commentary. Benefit of doubt from me with the pick.

 

[Grimes]

Ok then...

 

[Art.Vandelay]

I saw a mock this morning that us taking this guy. It was honestly the first time I had even heard of him.

 

[Jakey53]

Boy, it's sure quit around here.

 

[XX]

Unless he manifests some kind of offensive game he's a Siegenthaler type which is a bad use of a top 10 pick. Ideal scenario is a 6'4 Orlov.

 

[JasonDemersWasOkay]

Excited to see him on the second pair for the roadrunners in 2027, maybe he’ll get a call up when I qualify for social security

 

[hbk]

Best skating D in the draft? Great size. Lots of people had him as top D in draft and was rocketing up draft lists with how he finished season. I think the Blackbook had him top 5 ov.

 

[Chootoi]

I am glad to see an elite D added to the stable, but at 6? The 6th best player in the draft? Only thing I can imagine is with Reinbacher gone and a suspicion that the Canucks would be in on Willander at 11, maybe they didn't want to risk someone else going rogue and him not being there at 12.

 

[Edenjung]

 

[lanky]

Jake Sanderson as a comparable?

 

[rt]

You’re all about to see some clips posted soon that will make you say “huh?” when it comes to the speed he can generate through the neutral zone at his size and level of physical aggression.

 

[hbk]

I am glad to see an elite D added to the stable, but at 6? The 6th best player in the draft? Only thing I can imagine is with Reinbacher gone and a suspicion that the Canucks would be in on Willander at 11, maybe they didn't want to risk someone else going rogue and him not being there at 12.

May also have been some fear that Detroit especially would take him.

You’re all about to see some clips posted soon that will make you say “huh?” when it comes to the speed he can generate through the neutral zone at his size and level of physical aggression.

His skating is incredible for his size.

 

[sundance74]

what The Athletic wrote in March

10. Dmitriy Simashev, D, Yaroslavl Jr. (RUSSIA-JR.)

Feb. 4, 2005 | 6′ 4.0″ | 198 pounds | Shoots left

March 2023 Ranking: 17

Tier: Projected top of the lineup player

Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average

Player comparable: Adam Larsson

Background: Simashev made a strong KHL team out of camp as a 17-year-old defenseman before being sent back to junior, although he came up to Lokomotiv at times during the rest of the season. At the junior level, he didn’t post huge offensive numbers, but he’s played a significant role on a top junior team in Russia. He represented Russia’s U18 team in the 2022 season at the European Youth Olympics and the Black Sea Cup.

Analysis: Simashev is a toolsy defenseman as a 6-foot-4 blueliner who skates quite well for his size. He’s not dynamic offensively, but he has good puck skills, can beat checkers one-on-one with his hands, makes a solid outlet pass and makes some plays from the offensive blue line. He’s smooth and solid defensively, being good on his gaps and retrievals. Simashev competes hard, has some physicality in his game, and showed in the first half he could play against men at a young age. There is some debate on how much offense he has, but I think he has offense, and on a lesser junior team he would have scored more. You saw in the MHL playoffs when they leaned on him the offense came out more consistently. I see a lot of indicators of a two-way top-pair defenseman in the NHL even if I don’t think he’ll put up big point totals.

 

[XX]

 

[87turbobuick]

I do not follow Russian Hockey, so I went to Sportsnet.ca to find out more. When I tried to click on both of their names neither had any info. The only 2 players in the first round that had no information about them.

 

[zerekstar]

I trust the scouts more then my opinion. If he is as good as they think, we will be happy in the end.

 

[XX]