Prospect Info: 2024 Round 1, #10 Overall - LD Anton Silayev

[Captain3rdLine]

I meant, who would you rather have at the time of their draft...2021 Luke Hughes, 2022 Simon Nemec or 2024 Zeev Buium? From the way you talk about them, seems like you like Buium the best, which to me is bonkers.

Ya I would if I was looking at them all in the same draft class. More skilled than Nemec and more complete than Hughes. You have your opinion I have mine.

 

[pkbrux]

Ya I would if I was looking at them all in the same draft class. More skilled than Nemec and more complete than Hughes. You have your opinion I have mine.

I personally don't see it, not even a little bit, to be honest, but respect you standing by your evaluation. I think saying Buium > Luke & Nemec is a bold take. I think Luke's rare offensive skill and skating should make it blatantly obvious how great he can be. I have always been a massive Nemec fan. I said at the time I would have taken him first and I think he is going to win at least one Norris down the road.

I am very glad the Devils did not draft a player with similar (but lesser IMO) skill sets in Buium and went with Silayev instead.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

I personally don't see it, not even a little bit, to be honest, but respect you standing by your evaluation. I think saying Buium > Luke & Necem is a bold take. I think Luke's rare offensive skill and skating should make it blatantly obvious how great he can be. I have always been a massive Nemec fan. I said at the time I would have taken him first and I think he is going to win at least one Norris down the road.

I am very glad the Devils did not draft a player with similar (but lesser IMO) skill sets in Buium and went with Silayev instead.

I just think Buium is that good. Only thing Silayev has on him in my opinion is size and with that reach and physicality.

Buium is a great skater, great puck handler, a really smart player and great passer, he has the poise I look for in top defensemen, and he plays hard and solid defensively. There really isn’t any weaknesses IMO. Maybe you could wish he was an inch or two taller but he’s not small.

I don’t know if he’ll ever win a Norris just because I don’t know if he’ll ever put up the level of points necessary. I could very much see him being a McAvoy or Heiskanen type defensemen who’s one of the best in the league consistently and great all over the ice but never has a great chance at the Norris because he doesn’t have the Makar or Karlsson level of production. I think he’s also extremely unlikely to completely bust if he doesn’t reach those levels and at least be a good #3 dman.

Silayev is a big, mobile, and very raw defensemen. Just because of that he has great defensive potential. But I have concerns about how smart of a player he is, whether he’s poised enough and whether he’s a good enough puck mover to be a top defensemen at the NHL level. Don’t care much about the offense just want him to be good in transition and at making smart plays with the puck. Don’t think his puck skills are good enough yet either. As some others have said he’s very much a project. Him doing well in the KHL is a great sign but I just think there was better options.

 

[RSeen]

We have the ability to be patient with Silayev and he could add a unique shutdown ability that really compliments are group. Fan of this pick.

 

[pkbrux]

I just think Buium is that good. Only thing Silayev has on him in my opinion is size and with that reach and physicality.

Buium is a great skater, great puck handler, a really smart player and great passer, he has the poise I look for in top defensemen, and he plays hard and solid defensively. There really isn’t any weaknesses IMO. Maybe you could wish he was an inch or two taller but he’s not small.

I don’t know if he’ll ever win a Norris just because I don’t know if he’ll ever put up the level of points necessary. I could very much see him being a McAvoy or Heiskanen type defensemen who’s one of the best in the league consistently and great all over the ice but never has a great chance at the Norris because he doesn’t have the Makar or Karlsson level of production. I think he’s also extremely unlikely to completely bust if he doesn’t reach those levels and at least be a good #3 dman.

Silayev is a big, mobile, and very raw defensemen. Just because of that he has great defensive potential. But I have concerns about how smart of a player he is, whether he’s poised enough and whether he’s a good enough puck mover to be a top defensemen at the NHL level. Don’t care much about the offense just want him to be good in transition and at making smart plays with the puck. Don’t think his puck skills are good enough yet either. As some others have said he’s very much a project. Him doing well in the KHL is a great sign but I just think there was better options.

Totally get why you would think Buium is a better prospect that Silayev..for me its very close. But when you factor in what the Devils already have with young dmen, thats what pushes me over to prier Silayev.

The most interesting part of your evaluation to me is preferring Buium over both Luke Hughes and Nemec. I wasnt really that invested in following Buium's career if he didnt land in NJ, but now I really want to see how he does, because I think both Luke and Nemec are stars.

 

[BurntToast]

There is a legit argument that Evan Bouchard was the best defenseman in the playoffs, but he didn’t win.

Maybe the Cats didn’t get praised because they just bullied their way to the cup.

Silayev is a great defender now, but he could be a monster if his offense/transition game improves.

1 last nugget. Sennecke rose in the draft because of his second half performance. Silayev goes from relatively unknown into a top 5 ranking. Why! His improvement from last year to this year was remarkable.

Sept 23 TSN:

“Perhaps the most flat-out intriguing prospect on TSN’s pre-season list is 6-foot-6, 203-pound Russian left-shot defenceman Anton Silayev. When TSN made its initial inquiries of the scouts on the Class of 2024, Silayev was nowhere to be found. But once the KHL started playing games in the last couple of weeks, scouts were scrambling to get a handle on the Russian behemoth who seemingly came out of nowhere to create seismic shock waves in the scouting community.”

Macklin Celebrini leads 'Big Three' atop Bob McKenzie's TSN pre-season NHL draft ranking | TSN

Nine out of 10 NHL scouts surveyed to determine TSN’s Pre-Season Top 16 Rankings slotted the 17-year-old Boston University freshman from Vancouver at the top of their respective lists.

www.tsn.ca

Oct 23 THW:

“Anton Silayev has been the story of the 2024 Draft class early on this season, going from an unknown defender in Russia’s junior system last year to a potentially elite prospect who is tearing up the KHL. He’s a difficult player to rank because the sample size of his great play is still so small, but his potential is as high as any so I couldn’t justify putting him any lower than this.”

2024 NHL Draft Rankings - Horn’s Top 32 for October - The Hockey Writers NHL Entry Draft Latest News, Analysis & More

The 2024 NHL Draft year has officially started so let's take a look at my top 32 prospects as of October 2023!

thehockeywriters.com

There is no reason to believe he won’t improve both offensively and defensively. The war has skyrocketed concerns over the “Russian Factor”. There could be an argument Demidov has the highest upside in the draft and he fell to 5th.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Totally get why you would think Buium is a better prospect that Silayev..for me its very close. But when you factor in what the Devils already have with young dmen, thats what pushes me over to prier Silayev.

The most interesting part of your evaluation to me is preferring Buium over both Luke Hughes and Nemec. I wasnt really that invested in following Buium's career if he didnt land in NJ, but now I really want to see how he does, because I think both Luke and Nemec are stars.

I honestly just think he’s more complete than them in different ways.

 

[Incharge1976]

Fitz is currently obsessed with size, physicality, "violence" and being harder to play against. Obvious this was going to be Silayev or Dickinson even though Buium and probably Helenius were the best players on the board.

I don't think he's going to be Hedman. Could he be a modern day Chara? Possibly.

That's how I viewed this pick. Feel like he wants to get some bigger and more physical guys after watching our stars take cheap shots all over the place.

 

[HersheyBob27]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1806889620774457449

Why do they feel the need to sell us on shit. They really think we are stupid

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Why do they feel the need to sell us on shit. They really think we are stupid

That's literally his coach in the KHL and a hockey lifer....? What would Larionov get from lying lmao

 

[BurntToast]

It’s not Fitz. It’s a real problem. I love hockey and it’s cool to lean into “The Cup” is the hardest trophy to win, but the NHL flat out allows near murder on the ice.

The amount of headshots, interference, and dirty plays, was a drag. If those plays happened during the year those players would be suspended.

When the “Trouba/Rempe” types try to HURT our players, the Devils can send out Silayev instead of Bratt. I can’t help but think the Marino trade rumors are a product of the beating he took durning those fights.

 

[Killing Joke]

Absolutely hate this pick. two better defenseman were available that do much more than he does.

 

[OmNomNom]

Why do they feel the need to sell us on shit. They really think we are stupid

It's a good quotable, what else are they gonna put

"We drafted a guy"

Absolutely hate this pick. two better defenseman were available that do much more than he does.

We know, but you cannot deny that he's defending against older men

It’s not Fitz. It’s a real problem. I love hockey and it’s cool to lean into “The Cup” is the hardest trophy to win, but the NHL flat out allows near murder on the ice.

The amount of headshots, interference, and dirty plays, was a drag. If those plays happened during the year those players would be suspended.

When the “Trouba/Rempe” types try to HURT our players, the Devils can send out Silayev instead of Bratt. I can’t help but think the Marino trade rumors are a product of the beating he took durning those fights.

Yeah he turtled didn't he?

 

[Xirik]

Larionov messaged him "congrats, good team, good organization"

Gave Buium a hug when they walked past each other. wonder how they know each other.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Larionov messaged him "congrats, good team, good organization"

Gave Buium a hug when they walked past each other. wonder how they know each other.

Pretty much all the top prospects have probably met each other by now

 

[Goptor]

Larionov messaged him "congrats, good team, good organization"

Gave Buium a hug when they walked past each other. wonder how they know each other.

He's given #24. We're screwed. Got another Ty Smith.

 

[Xirik]

He's given #24. We're screwed. Got another Ty Smith.

so he's going to be Jack Hughes buddy? at least this one can give him piggyback rides.

 

[Goptor]

so he's going to be Jack Hughes buddy? at least this one can give him piggyback rides.

Ty taught Jack how to boil broccoli.

Anton is going to teach Jack how to use the brocolli in a meal.

We will finally have broccoli closure.

 

[Xirik]

Ty taught Jack how to boil broccoli.

Anton is going to teach Jack how to use the brocolli in a meal.

We will finally have broccoli closure.

maybe all that fiber will make Jack go even faster from all the gas.

 

[bossram]

I don't mind the pick. He has the (slim) possibility of being a unicorn player. A huge, smooth-skating, shutdown defenseman with enough puck-moving ability to be a top-pair staple. The Devils do not have this player type in the system. I think you probably get a Jamie Oleksiak caliber player, maybe a Zadorov at worst.

With that said, given how the board shook out, I still would have taken Buium. IMO he was the 2nd or 3rd best player in the draft. I know he has some similar skills to some of the Devils other defensemen, but his defensive game is pretty advanced and he was pretty much the best NCAA defenseman as a freshman. I think he's on a different tier than Silayev. I don't think it's unreasonable he becomes a better-skating Adam Fox-esque player.

 

[Guadana]

I would prefer to get him to NA asap and let him get used to smaller ice and our staff to help teach him his stick skills

Wrong decision.
Devils already teach one way player Holtz to play. Enough.


Silayev will have minutes against the hardest competition outside NHL for two years. Not in chl, not in liiga, not in ahl. He will play a lot if tough situation and will have enough opportunities to learn how to play with the puck under real pressure.

 

[Guadana]

I meant, who would you rather have at the time of their draft...2021 Luke Hughes, 2022 Simon Nemec or 2024 Zeev Buium? From the way you talk about them, seems like you like Buium the best, which to me is bonkers.

Its a debate between Nemec and Luke. I like Buium a lot, he wa my pick, but he isn't on the level even with his playmaking.

 

[Ripshot 43]

Watch and judge for yourself.

Noticed he was playing RD this whole game. Does he normally play both ? (see him listed as LD).

 

[Ripshot 43]

View attachment 889090

Is this one of those camera angle tricks like they used in LotRs and Harry Potter?

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

How has mukmahdali looked in San Jose? Trying to see if the khl scouts got that right

At least try to get his name right, this makes you look like quite ignorant.