2024 NHL Draft: Russian Prospects
- Thread starter Caser
- Start date
Caser
Moderator
If we look at who is better currently then the answer is clear: Nabokov, as he has been named the second best KHL goalie this year and the playoffs MVP there. However I think you probably also meant going forward and here it is not that obvious, as to me Moysevich seems to have a higher ceiling: his size, body type and agility look perfect for a potential NHL goalie. He is further from being considered a finished product, as he is a late-bloomer, not to mention that it really takes time for the big goalies to reach the prime, but I think in the end of the day he might become better.
Caser
Moderator
Has the number of successful Russian players during those draft years been that lower than lets say the number of Swedish players?
Caser
Moderator
There has been higher demand for Belorussian prospects due to them not being considered as foreigners in the KHL, but as for the overall talent production it depends on which point we take for the reference. I mean, like comparing to 10 years ago - sure, but in the recent 5 years the talent production has been consistently good there, just maybe it was less noticeable, as most of them rather quickly disappeared somewhere in NA leagues and didn't get even to the draft.
Don't know, but I randomly took one year, 2017, and found out 27 Swedish players were drafted while only 18 Russians, the highest being EP40 at 5, then players at 7 (Lias Anderson), 15 (Brannstrom) and 17 (Liljgren) before the first Russian was taken (Kostin at 31). Other Swedes that year that made it to the Show include Jesper Boqvist, Gustav Lindstrom, Fabian Zetterlund, Emil Benstrom, Jacob Peterson and Sebastian Aho (D). So basically a little more than a 3rd Swedes drafted. Pretty good ratio.
Caser
Moderator
The Russian factor has always been there, more or less - depending on the year. As for the 2017, it wasn't a particularly strong year for the Russian players, but still 6 guys from my list (both drafted and undrafted) can be considered as full-time NHL players at this point. Not sure about the number of Swedish players, but just from the drafted Swedish guys there are 8 if I counted it correctly.
- Sep 29, 2016
- 12,541
- 6,241
Not for a lack of talent though. I also wonder if we're soon gonna see more Russians in the NHL or other NA leagues. Don't wanna get into politics too much but in the past, Russians didn't have the same desire to play in the NHL as prospects from other countries. Why do AHL bus rides if you, for similar or better money, can play at home instead? Without a clear path to the NHL, 9 out of 10 Russian prospects were never gonna leave the KHL or at least return home at the first chance if things didn't go their way. Wouldn't surprise me to see the NHL, or just the opportunity to live in North America, become more and more popular for Russians now.
Caser
Moderator
Pettersson, Brannstrom, Liljegren, Boqvist, Lindstrom, Zetterlund, Bemstrom, Aho - that's 8 drafted NHLers to me. If adding Soderblom and Holmberg, who were also eligible for drafting back then it is 10 indeed.
Caser
Moderator
They are, but they've both played in the NHL. Andersson's got over 100 games under his belt and Jacob's played a handful if not more. I expect both will be in the show again at some point.
There are actually three other drafted Swedes that season who have played in an NHL game, but I chose to omit them.
By contrast, Russia had 6 drafted that year who have seen time in an NHL game.
In 2018, 6 out of 17 Russians drafted played a game in the NHL. Swedes had 14 out of 25.
Caser
Moderator
As I already mentioned for the draft there is such a thing as Russian factor, don't think there is such a thing as Swedish factor, as a consequence there are almost no undrafted NHL players from Sweden, yet plenty from Russia.
Caser
Moderator
Corey Pronman's new article with quotes from the NHL executives (NHL Draft Confidential: What scouts and executives think of Celebrini, Demidov and more) is amazing, a lot of the Russian factor out there. Some best quotes:
Looks like someone needs a lecture about the current state of the MHL and the difference between the Gold and Silver divisions there.
I'm sure if we somehow could send this quote to Tim Robinson, he could make a funny sketch out of it.
Caser
Moderator
That Dan Milstein's "Russian Combine" camp might be getting more hype than the NHL Combine lol. Anyway, we have some measurements for the future reference:
Igor Chernyshov: 6'2.75" 204 lbs
Ivan Demidov: 6'0.5" 192 lbs
Matvei Gridin: 6'1.5" 189 lbs
Timur Kol: 6'3.5" 204 lbs
Artyom Kudashov: 5'10.75" 184 lbs
Ivan Okunev: 5'10.5 177 lbs
Matvei Shuravin: 6'3.75" 218 lbs
Yegor Surin: 6'0.75" 197 lbs
Maxim Venskel: 6'3.25" 198 lbs
There's also Mario Patalakha in that camp (6'0.75" 208 lbs), who was the last cut from my list due to that I didn't think I saw him enough to understand his progress (he was fine, but rather meh in the MHL and getting extremely limited minutes in the KHL), would be fun if he actually gets drafted this year.
Also from the NHL Combine we know that Mikhail Yegorov is 6'5" 188 lbs.
Igor Chernyshov: 6'2.75" 204 lbs
Ivan Demidov: 6'0.5" 192 lbs
Matvei Gridin: 6'1.5" 189 lbs
Timur Kol: 6'3.5" 204 lbs
Artyom Kudashov: 5'10.75" 184 lbs
Ivan Okunev: 5'10.5 177 lbs
Matvei Shuravin: 6'3.75" 218 lbs
Yegor Surin: 6'0.75" 197 lbs
Maxim Venskel: 6'3.25" 198 lbs
There's also Mario Patalakha in that camp (6'0.75" 208 lbs), who was the last cut from my list due to that I didn't think I saw him enough to understand his progress (he was fine, but rather meh in the MHL and getting extremely limited minutes in the KHL), would be fun if he actually gets drafted this year.
Also from the NHL Combine we know that Mikhail Yegorov is 6'5" 188 lbs.
Appreciate the work you put into these Cesar!
I think Artomonov is going to be a steal for whoever gets him. Hearing a lot of good things recently from a few analysts, but he seems to be flying under the radar still.
Love the links to previous years too!
I think Artomonov is going to be a steal for whoever gets him. Hearing a lot of good things recently from a few analysts, but he seems to be flying under the radar still.
Love the links to previous years too!
GordieHowYaDoin
WFP
- Nov 9, 2022
- 238
- 411
Fyodor Avramov is said to be flying under all the radars. Any insight on his game? He has a great NHL type frame and a good shot from what I read. Believe it was 2021/2022 season he didnt play, due to injury I assume?
Caser
Moderator
Unfortunately this season he not only didn't make enough progress, but has even regressed, so I guess the closest he got to the NHL was rejecting the Canes contract offer two years ago.
He has that, but, as I mentioned in the OP, he isn't my cup of tea like at all. He played in 2021/22, just was too young to play in the MHL and eliteprospects isn't good with Russian regional midget leagues' stats.
Did you have a chance at seeing Semyon Konopsky in his very limited showings behind the 2 older Loko studs? His games and the Loko goalie camp video I have make him a very intriguing prospect. Big, athletic, fast on his skates amazing lateral quickness. He looks like Bobrovsky. Watch him go undrafted then be 2nd rounder next year. Never mentioned on twitter hfboards either
Caser
Moderator
I don't think I have seen him, as he played only six games and 5 out of them were against the Silver division's teams. He might become good, but in general the fact that at this point he couldn't be at least a backup on the Loko-76 team isn't a great sign to say it mildly.
Evgeny Oliker
Registered User
Caser
Moderator
The upside is Top 6 for sure, I mean, as I already mentioned in the OP, he got the right talent and I seriously think if he would work a bit harder then he could've had a MHL performance maybe not the same, but comparable to Demidov's dominance.
Interesting you still
Interesting you only put him #6 with said nhl top6 upside. General media dont seem scared, even praise, his on ice effort. Good russian class ? Thanks !
Caser
Moderator
In terms of the high-end guys this class is indeed quite something as aside from the surefire first-rounders (Silayev, Demidov, Chernyshov) already as much as the next four guys - Artamonov, Shuravin, Surin and Gridin - can be considered as first-round candidates and it shouldn't be any shock if they actually go there (will be a shock if they all will get selected there though). So placing him 6th here isn't actually "only", although I must admit it is a bit lower than his upside suggests. As about the effort, they probably mean the MHL playoffs, where Surin indeed looked very motivated and performed as he should, it wasn't exactly like that if we look at the full course of the season.
