With the depressing play of the Coyotes I thought I might as well post this update that I’ve been saving for awhile. I want to focus this one on the draft eligible players as there are a couple of players that are “hidden gems” that should fall thanks to the Russian Factor into the later rounds.
1. Anton Slepyshev – My personal favourite and the best draft eligible player playing in Russia. He’s got good size and decent speed. He was one of the last cuts for the WJC and is the youngest player in the KHL right now at 17. He’s good at both ends of the ice and really works hard. For the most part he’s been placed in a 4th line role and while his stats (4 goals and 7 points in 39 games) are not impressive, he is playing 9 minutes a night against men, and a lot of that is on the penalty kill. He’s expected to go in the late first or early second, yet if a team can get him there with this forward class being so pitifully weak they will get a really nice player. He’s sort of like Nikolai Kulemin.
2. Nikolai Prokhorkin – He’s rated by the CSS as the top player in Russia and there is a lot to like. He’s big (6’2), strong, can skate and has filthy hands. He has a lot more upside than Slepyshev, but his defensive game is still suspect. He’s had a go in the KHL for awhile playing 15 games with a goal and assist, but was sent back to the MHL to contend for the championship. He’s been a beast there and has 19 points in 10 games which is very impressive for an 18 year old. Another late first/early second kind of guy. Playing with two of the best players in the MHL helps of course, but he has a lot of natural skill.
3. Vyacheslav Osnovin – This guy is pretty unknown but has quietly had a decent season. He started out really poorly with just 4 points in 20 games but seems to have finally found his stride with 16 points in his last 15 games. He’s likely 4th round bound but his two-way game is solid and his skating is really good. He looks like the kind of guy who needs his head and hands to catch up to his feet. Kind of a project case but he’s a fast riser. He looked good at the WJAC-U19’s, though the competition there isn’t the strongest.
4. Valeri Vasilyev – A defensive defenceman that plays very well positionally but has no offensive upside. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him not get drafted as guys with 5-6 upside are usually not worth it when you can get the same kind of guy from a less risky place. Having said that he has a bit of an edge to his game, though he needs to get meaner.
5. Alexei Filippov – An interesting player with some nice upside. He’s a really big guy at 6’3 but still really skinny. His one problem is his speed, he has great hands and instincts when it comes to scoring, but his speed just isn’t there. He is usually parked in front of the net on the PP and I would say his ultimate role in the NHL could be a Holmstrom/Antropov kind of guy.
6. Yevgeni Krutikov – He’s probably the closest thing to a power forward from Russia. He loves to hit and cause problems with his opponents; he’s kind of a rat. He leads his team most nights despite being the youngest with 12 goals and his offensive skills are pretty strong. Has some speed and size (6’1). He’s not a fighter but he chirps all the bloody time, he never shuts up. Now if that translates to the NHL is a different question since he doesn’t speak English...so I guess he’d be effective against the Capitals. I’d say a 4th round kind of pick player.
7. Nikita Gusev – A guy who was passed over already in the draft but has come back with a vengeance. Most will have seen him in the world juniors where he was very good. The diminutive forward has 21 goals and 52 points in 22 games and is the best player in the MHL. He looked ok in the KHL but is mainly used on the fourth line like most young players. In 9 games during the WJC’s he had 3 goals and 9 points. He has a lot of speed and skill but his defensive game isn’t good enough right now, nor is his size at 5’9. A big project player but I’d easily waste a late pick on him. Size has always been his biggest obstacle and teams might pass over him again for that reason.
8. Andrei Vasilevski – The best goalie in the draft and a star at the world juniors. The 17 year old is insane. He’s big at 6’3 and plays a butterfly/blocking style. Best goalie in the under 18’s, best in the under 20’s and always younger than his opponents, he is a beast. Best goalie in the MHL two years in a row and developing by leaps and bounds. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him go in the first round.
Thanks for reading.
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