Simashev can be overly confident and calm with the puck under pressure. It’s both a blessing and a curse. It buys him time but can also lead to disaster.
Also, his shot needs to improve a lot. The absence of a credible threat of a point shot will limit his offensive potential considerably. If nobody is worried about it, his options dwindle fast.
Additionally, his highlight reel puck rushes are breathtaking. But he often rushes right into two defensemen. That’s a nitpick because he gains the zone and it usually generates something. But he’s not technically going end to end. He’s going zone to zone because he doesn’t make it to the net. I’d often rather see him take the outside and wait for a centering pass opportunity.
For But, I would say the standard concern of what will happen when he has less time and space and less of a physical advantage. Right now he can toy with the opposition due to speed, strength and puck protection ability. How will bigger, stronger, faster, more adept defenders that can close on him more quickly limit this ability? That’s a key question for any prospect like this however.