2025 Draft Profile:
C Ivan Ryabkin, Muskegon USHL
A prospective top 5, if not even higher, pick coming into this season, Ivan Ryabkin's draft year has been nothing short of a disaster. He followed up an excellent D-1 season with Dynamo Moscow's MHL affiliate by...essentially burning all bridges with the team. His poor conditioning, poor engagement, poor body language, and horrid sense of entitlement quickly soured the organization, stifling any shot at an extended KHL look. His MHL performance nose-dived over a lack of concern, even leading to some healthy scratches, and he eventually bailed to the USHL in an attempt to save his draft stock.
This, up front, does not sound like a player I would like, but I believe there's still reason to believe. Let's talk skills first. Ryabkin never stopped being a top 5 (well, maybe more top 10 now) talent in the draft. His playmaking is some of the best in the class in spite of how goal-weighted his USHL totals are, and his one timer is heavy and accurate. Ryabkin's vision and creativity are otherworldy, and while he doesn't always apply them productively, he's capable of wowing with his puck movement. His skating is fluid and steady, being able to not just handle at speed but attack defenders head-on, though his pace leaves you wanting more.
Most intriguingly, though, is that Ryabkin is a full blown psychopath. It's not just that he's physical, sure, he finishes checks, but he's outright dirty. Ryabkin will headshot players, slewfoot, board, throw elbows, tackle behind play, basically do anything; if it's illegal, he's tried it. He doesn't always have the game sense for when to pull these stunts either, sometimes randomly taking someone out. What isn't random, though, is how fierce of a teammate he is. Yes, the player who I said can be pouty and have poor body language is a hyper competitive teammate. Ryabkin will be the first person to stand up for his linemate and lay out whoever hit him. Think Kadri level passion here.
Ryabkin and his enigma of a draft year have proven to be immensely hard for the scouting world to fully grasp, and who's to say I'm not the wrong one for still believing in him? I don't fault anyone for looking at all the red flags and wanting to pass on him, but at the same time, I think it's quite comical that his pure hockey ability is being underrated over it. This is an exceptionally talented playmaking center, with very solid goal scoring upside, who can play a nasty, heavy forechecking game. The question is over whether or not he can get it together, not if he's fundamentally good enough to make it. Things like his conditioning and entitlement will need to put into check, and I imagine the pace instantly improves if the former does, but I want to believe I'm seeing progress with body language and engagement, even if he'll still throw plays away at times. Ryabkin will need a ton of patience and likely annoy the crap out of people even at his best, but I would kill to pick this kid up at 50. Absolutely, positively everything we need to add all in one player, and it would be near all time value to land him mid 2nd should he hit.