Andrey Buyalsky C, 2021 draft, 3rd round (92nd overall)

[Avsboy]

Does he pass?

Even receiving the puck in the neutral zone, he is head down skate wide and go to the net.

He's like Nichushkin but with a chance of developing scoring ability

 

[dahrougem2]

He's like Nichushkin but with a chance of developing scoring ability

Not from that highlight reel he isn't lol

 

[BobRossColton]

Definitely has speed and nice stick handling. Needs some finish.

 

[Richard88]

Put this guy on a line with Nichushkin and watch the goaltender interference penalties rack up on drives to the net.

Ranta - Buyalsky - Nichuskin would be a fun trio for opposing goalies to face haha

 

[jake07]

He’s a fantastic skater at his size… most impressive part of his game. Big time volume shooter (never seen one he doesn’t like) that loves the middle of the ice. Can handle physicality and dish it out (doesn’t seek giving it out). Solid set of hands and okay IQ. He has a long, long ways to go defensively and playing with line mates. Should be a top 6 guy right away for Vermont and will be interesting to watch for next year or two. Some raw upside.

same style than Vladislav Kamenev?

 

[dahrougem2]

same style than Vladislav Kamenev?

Kamenev was slow

 

[henchman21]

same style than Vladislav Kamenev?

Not even close

 

[henchman21]

Does he pass?

Even receiving the puck in the neutral zone, he is head down skate wide and go to the net.

Not well

 

[Tommy Shelby]

He couldn't skate

That's just because his legs stiffened up after refusing to get the massages

 

[Freudian]

Looks like Magnus Pääjärvi-Svensson relying on that outside move. Might be harder to pull off against NHLers, as MPS found out.

 

[Belgican]

Not really a fan, time will tell

 

[Hasbro]

Hopefully DU will bring in Vermont in for some nonconference games in 22-23

 

[The Kingslayer]

At first glance this guy can flat out fly and loves to go hard at the net at speed.

North south guy who drives the net and shoots everything. Not bad.

 

[The Kingslayer]

Looks like Magnus Pääjärvi-Svensson relying on that outside move. Might be harder to pull off against NHLers, as MPS found out.

The lack of finish also looks like MPS

 

[Patagonia]

Overager passed on 2 drafts. Don’t expect he’ll ever reach the NHL and should have packaged to get a higher 2nd round pick.

 

[Richard88]

Overager passed on 2 drafts. Don’t expect he’ll ever reach the NHL and should have packaged to get a higher 2nd round pick.

Who would you have picked higher in the 2nd if you had moved up?

 

[Patagonia]

Who would you have picked higher in the 2nd if you had moved up?

Raty. Didn’t need an undersized DMen.

 

[Perratrooper]

If he could sort out his defense he could be a very good fourth liner (based on what you guys are saying).

 

[Richard88]

If he could sort out his defense he could be a very good fourth liner (based on what you guys are saying).

I don't think he projects as a 4C type. If he makes it to the NHL it would probably be as an offensive 3C.

 

[Richard Doll]

Cool, I live in Vermont, I'll have to keep up with how he's doing.

 

[AllAboutAvs]

Is Vermont a good program to teach what he is lacking? Good coach?

 

[McMetal]

I like his raw tools, but given that he's an overager I wonder how much development he has left to unlock the potential. At least we have four years with him to see where it goes.

 

[dahrougem2]

I can't get over how much of a one-man-show this kid is from those highlights lmao this guy would DOMINATE beer league div 1.

 

[Foppa2118]

Does he pass?

Even receiving the puck in the neutral zone, he is head down skate wide and go to the net.

When he gets the puck anywhere on the ice he seems to have only one thing in mind.

Drive the net with the puck. I'll take it in a 3rd rounder. You don't have to teach him to do what some guys never do.

Now he just needs to keep working on his puck skills to make his finishing ability more dangerous.

 

[S E P H]

This lad is effin' lit. I didn't realise who he was until I did a bit more background info on him and holy shit if there is a player out there with the strangest strengths and weaknesses I've ever seen someone have, he is absolute in the top 3 for me. Skating gets an absolutely perfect score and his stickhandling is as close to a perfect score as well...every other part of his game is below-average or well below-average. It's to the point that he is a Michael Grabner-clone where he has the speed, but absolutely zero finish whatsoever. No doubt he could be a late bloomer because you see him play and just get awe struck, but being an overager and not posting more than a PPG status is a big worry for me in his overall offensive potential. NCAA is by far the correct route for Buyalskiy to go because he really needs to work on his physicality and muscle mass for his shot (which is atrocious). Like he has close to zero physicality or mean-streak which might be another problem when it comes to playoff hockey. I do like that he's going to one of the more smaller programmes in the NCAA meaning he'll not have to fight for ice time.

Positionally, all the sites out there say Andrey is a centre, but I would be utterly shocked and I mean UTTERLY shocked if he made the pros as a rover. Hell, in a lot of the games I watched he was being used as a winger and his entire game is based on breakout pass to him through the neutral zone with speed. He is not very good at starting with the puck from zero to flash speed compared to him reaching full speed and then having the puck come to him - that is a strength of a winger IMHO. There are good signs to his game though and one of them is that he blows by lads in the USHL and I expect him to do the same in college. He is a level or two better than anybody else on the ice in skating ability and yes it isn't even close to the point he's almost like McDavid-lite (horrible comparison to make I understand).

To make the pros though, he needs to be physically stronger which should also lead to a better shot due to increased muscle strength and because of that he'll probably have to lose a bit of speed. Nonetheless, when he blows by guys like he's entering light-speed, majority of the time he does take the puck to net and understands that he might potentially get damage when he does that. That's very important because it shows he doesn't mind some of the physical game. He also has some underrated playmaking, but I want to see more consistency to this part of his game because I think he can be quite good on powerplay with his speed and just overall shiftiness. I am very intrigued at his progression because he has the attributes to succeed in the modern NHL, but there is a lot of work that needs to be done by him on his overall game.

E: I should add that he was probably the biggest analytic pick of all the Avs selections. He eats zone-entries for breakfast.