GAME REPORTS
David St-Louis: March 7th, 2023 - Sputnik vs. Avto - MHL
Karpovich needs to refine his defensive details. The long sweeping pokechecks and approximate positioning won't work at the next levels. He will get dangled and the puck will move around him. He needs to close his gap faster and play with more pace overall.
I saw flashes of offensive instincts in this one, but he's also a bit behind the curve compared to others in that facet of the game.
David St-Louis: December 7th, 2022 - Avto vs. Sibirskie Snaipery - MHL
Karpovich was the most noticeable defenceman on this Avto blue-line. He forced a couple of passes, but attempted more controlled plays under pressure than his teammates. He skated the puck out of the zone and made plays around the forecheck. He was at the point on the powerplay. His execution wasn't always on point, but his ideas were good, for the most part. I like the aggressiveness.
Good posture in rush defence, too.
Dylan Griffing: November 16th, 2022 - Belarus U20 vs. Russia U20 - Cup of the Future
Karpovich is definitely a long shot prospect because, right now, he is simply not good. His game is built around his physicality and heavy shot, some flashes of puck moving ability, but he doesn't have much finesse. Really poor gap control defending the rush and his defensive positioning is generally just not good. Skating also holds him back in that regard, weak on his edges and is a pretty stiff skater. Lacked control on breakouts, not pre-scanning on retrievals, just dumps out of the zone to prepare to play on the backfoot again. | still think there's something here as a late round flyer, but the value is limited.
Dylan Griffing: October 15th, 2022 - Avto Yekaterinburg vs. Ladya Togliatti - MHL
This game was full of plays that looked good from Karpovich, but not necessarily plays that are going to work against harder competition. The physicality is awesome, maybe over reliant on it when in possession, but he dominates players at this level. Shielding was great, just lacks the skill and pace to take full advantage of the positioning he gains from it. Had one end-to-end rush, but it wasn't a difficult one, since nobody really tried to stop him. Passing is a shot in the dark, not much scanning, just pass and pray. I have hope for him, maybe ends up as a 3rd rounder by the year's end, but he's just so raw right now, need to see more.
Dylan Griffing: September 7th, 2022 - Avto Yekaterinburg vs. Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk - MHL
For the first handful of shifts, Karpovich was simply a violent hockey player. Chasing hits hard and completely moving himself out of position, but also using his size with his reach to make good defensive plays. Sidenote: He missed almost all of his hits. Either he decided to calm down or he got a stern talking to from his coach, but something changed and he went from "kinda bad, but physical specimen" to "bad". No gap control at all stopped using his size almost entirely, and was terrible at defending the rush. He needs to find a steady in between of trying to kill every player on the ice and completely taking himself out of the game. Outside of the defense, his passing was really hit or miss. He had two pretty nice breakout passes, one from one-knee that ended as a primary assist. Not much skill, but he moves pretty well for his size. Lacks creativity to really be an advanced puck mover, yet there are some positive signs that shine through. Definitely a major project player.
Dylan Griffing: August 6th, 2022 - Avto Yekaterinburg vs. Reaktor Nizhnekamsk - Friendly
I think the upside with Karpovich is limited, but for what he is, there is a solid hockey player here. Very rangy, uses his size well, and keeps it simple. Doesn't chase physicality, and opts to close down space first and then choose to either use his reach or play body. Inconsistent on-puck skills, there are certainly flashes of puck moving ability, nothing too high end, but he has pretty nice hands. Passing wasn't great and he definitely rushed himself at times; however, he showed some deception to be able to escape the forecheck on a few occasions.