Confirmed with Link: Canucks Sign Kirill Kudryavtsev to ELC

[VanJack]

What impressed me about Kudryavtsev tonight is how effective he was along the wall. The Oilers play a hard forechecking style, focused on punishing d-men in the offensive zone and reclaiming the puck.

But Kiril was able to absorb a lot of those hits and make a safe, effective pass out of his own zone. Went back and checked his Hockey DB profile.

He's listed at only 6', but 202. He's built like a fire-hydrant. Thanks to his strong pre-season, he's a lock for Abbotsford......and could even get some NHL callups if he keeps progressing. Almost unheard of for a 7th round draft pick who could still play junior hockey this season.

 

[logan5]

A Russian defenseman, playing junior during the Covid years? Maybe we got lucky and drafted a top 4 d man that was lost in the Covid shuffle.

Looks like he's our #2 d prospect now, ahead of Pettersson.

 

[LordBacon]

Bros last name looks like my cat walked over my keyboard.

 

[credulous]

i knew my investment in learning to spell his name would pay off

my hot take is he'll be regarded as vancouver's best prospect by midseason

 

[IComeInPeace]

“Kirill, he can break the puck out under heat, that kid,” said Tocchet. “I can’t pronounce his last name — you’ve gotta help me out — but I’m really impressed with him.”

 

[VanJack]

Kudryavtsev will be an interesting guy to to follow in Abbotsford in the early going. Tocchet doesn't very often hand out glowing praise to young d-men. But this 20-year old kid has earned the accolades,

If he continues to process the game at a high rate and deliver some of those nifty head-man passes, I could actually see him getting into some NHL games this year. He brings to the table something the Canucks sorely lack, lower down on their blueline--a fairly skilled, puck-moving d-man.

Of course I seem recall that last year Cole McWard got an extended look in training camp and was actually kept around and played one regular season game. But landed back in Abbotsford, where his season was pretty 'average'. So you really never know until they drop the puck.

 

[JumpierPegasus]

He was solid in the OHL. I was disappointed last year because I thought his game would take another step offensively but it just didn't. However, he has a lot of tools and seems like he will be easy to work with and develop, so I'm optimistic about him

He's not slam dunk by any means, but he has decent tools and a good toolbox and his skating doesn't suck. So it's all good jumping off points for a 20 year old. I'll watch him closely in Abby this year

 

[Russian_fanatic]

Kudryavtsev will be an interesting guy to to follow in Abbotsford in the early going. Tocchet doesn't very often hand out glowing praise to young d-men. But this 20-year old kid has earned the accolades,

If he continues to process the game at a high rate and deliver some of those nifty head-man passes, I could actually see him getting into some NHL games this year. He brings to the table something the Canucks sorely lack, lower down on their blueline--a fairly skilled, puck-moving d-man.

Of course I seem recall that last year Cole McWard got an extended look in training camp and was actually kept around and played one regular season game. But landed back in Abbotsford, where his season was pretty 'average'. So you really never know until they drop the puck.

I might be in the minority here, but it's his defense that impresses me the most. He's so calm, poised, in position, great stick, and smart.

It's his IQ both offensively and defensively that impress me. I really do think this kid is a sleeper, his coaches have loved him at every level for a reason. Call me crazy, but if he became a premiere top 4 defenseman in the NHL it would great, but not surprising. His IQ + Compete level is very Tanev like.

 

[Nucker101]

the exact type of late round pick you like to see. I’m not to sure what to make of Tocchet complimenting a young dman after his weird Cole McWard infatuation last year lol

 

[alternate]

I might be in the minority here, but it's his defense that impresses me the most. He's so calm, poised, in position, great stick, and smart.

It's his IQ both offensively and defensively that impress me. I really do think this kid is a sleeper, his coaches have loved him at every level for a reason. Call me crazy, but if he became a premiere top 4 defenseman in the NHL it would great, but not surprising. His IQ + Compete level is very Tanev like.

Yeah his play in the neutral zone gives me Tanev vibes as well. Now that's a pretty high bar to set and I'm not expecting KK to ever be in the conversation for best defensive dman in the world like Tanev was. But I'm excited to see how he does this year as a rookie pro.

 

[VanJack]

I'm beginning to see how the COVID seasons seriously disrupted the scouting community and really contributed to draft picks being 'all over the map'.

A lot of scouting services agree that Kudryavtsev would probably not have lasted past the third round in most draft years. But scouts just didn't have much of a read on him after he came to OHL from Russia.

I guess the tip-off might have been that the Canucks signed him right out of his draft year, despite not being picked until the 7th round. This hardly ever happens to 7th rounders in any other drafts.

So the Canucks may have lucked their way into a legitimate first or second round draft talent. And along with D-Petey and Wilander, suddenly the Canucks have some intriguing you d-men in the pipeline.

 

[RobertKron]

Wasn't 21-22 a full OHL season? Also, didn't they sign Kudryatsev after his D+1 rather than right out of the draft?

 

[Vector]

Wasn't 21-22 a full OHL season? Also, didn't they sign Kudryatsev after his D+1 rather than right out of the draft?

While you’re right about 21-22 being a full season VanJack is right that the 2022 draft was one where most scouting departments felt like they were lacking information on most players. GMs and scouts commented on it. Kudryavtsev seems like a guy that teams just forgot about because after he was drafted there were a lot of off-the-record by comments by scouts and draft experts that they didn’t even realize he wasn’t drafted yet. Apparently was ranked quite a bit higher by most teams.

And yeah, he was signed in March or his D+1.

 

[RobertKron]

While you’re right about 21-22 being a full season VanJack is right that the 2022 draft was one where most scouting departments felt like they were lacking information on most players. GMs and scouts commented on it. Kudryavtsev seems like a guy that teams just forgot about because after he was drafted there were a lot of off-the-record by comments by scouts and draft experts that they didn’t even realize he wasn’t drafted yet. Apparently was ranked quite a bit higher by most teams.

And yeah, he was signed in March or his D+1.

I love how mickey mouse the NHL is at times.