Team: Omskie (MHL)
Date of Birth: Aug 12, 2004: Omsk, RUS
Height: 6’1
Weight: 185 lbs
Position: Centre/Right Wing
Handedness: Right
2021-22 Team: Omskie Yastreby (MHL)
Introduction:
Many people overlook Trikozov because he is overshadowed by his teammate, Ivan Miroshnichenko. However, Trikozov isn’t a slouch by any means, as he’s a highly-skilled forward with excellent playmaking and a shot that’s lethal. Trikozov is one of the youngest in this draft class, which means one thing: his upside is limitless as he has more time to develop.
Trikozov is currently playing for Omskie Yastreby in the MHL and put up a solid 38 points in 30 contests at the time of this piece’s being created. Although the MHL is not what many would refer to as a “good league”, Trikozov definitely stands out like a needle in the hay-sack. I’m going to assess Trikozov’s game by rating. In the end, it adds up to 50 points. 35-50 is Top 6/Upper Top 4 – Elite players, 25-40 – Top 6/Top 9/ Lower Top 4 Upside players, and 15-30 – Top 9/Bottom 6/ Bottom 4 upside players, 10-20 are basically 3rd/4th/ bottom-pair upside players. With the house-keeping stuff out of the way, let’s dive into the game tape and see why Gleb is standing out in people’s eyes.
“Gleb Trikozov is a tremendously talented offensive player. He has shown a ton of raw skills and talent over his time playing for Omsk in the MHL. He sees the offensive zone extremely well, he anticipates where the soft areas of defence are and uses it to position himself for a pass from a teammate. On top of his offensive game, Trikozov is also a wizard in transition, seamlessly moving the puck from the defensive end into the offensive zone. As an August 2004 born player, any NHL team should be salivating over the potential growth still to be seen.”
McKeen’s Hockey – @Zack_Szweras
SKATING
When it comes to straight-line speed, Gleb has to be in the top group in this year’s draft class as he covers the ice pretty effectively and skates past defenders with ease when he builds up speed. He extends his legs proficiently which allows him to generate more power to build up more speed.
Trikozov’s Lateral movement is also sufficient, as he shifts from one side to another without losing any momentum. His lateral mobility plus his soft hands make him a target, as he’s always dangerous with the puck. When it comes to his edges, Trikozov isn’t going to wow you like Crosby. I think he’s fine when he’s trying to change directions quickly, but he mostly utilizes his playmaking ability to involve teams so he can find more ice.
Overall, I think that Gleb is an excellent skater as he’s able to move around the ice quickly and also incorporate his excellent lateral mobility to add a level of deception when facing defenders. My Rating for Trikozov’s skating is an 8.0/10.
Shooting Ability
Trikozov’s shot probably has one of the deadliest among the skillful in this ’22 class, as he’s able to pick corners and shoot from almost anywhere on the ice. Trikozov is excellent with getting the shot off effortlessly as the puck comes off his stick as fast as when he receives it. While having possession with the puck, Gleb uses tricks and fakes to pull goalies out of position such as the fake shot, open blade fake to shot, etc.
Trikozov is dangerous when he puts himself on the left side of the ice on the powerplay, as his one-timer is very lethal. Gleb able to shoot pucks past goaltenders with power and precision, and if that one timer isn’t an option, Gleb also utilizes the “slap-pass” where he aims the one timed shot low on the ice in order to get a shot tipped off. In conclusion, Trikozov is actively dangerous in the offensive zone as his wrist-shot and one timer has goaltenders on edge. My rating for Trikozov’s shooting ability is an 8/10.
Puck Handling
When it comes to puck handing, Trikozov doesn’t fail to impress. On the boards, Trikozov usually has no problem dealing with traffic as he can simultaneously use his body and his stickhandling in order to create a gap between him and MHL defenders. Gleb has good reach with then puck, and loves utilizing creative moves that help create the flashy goals he often scores. His Shifty puck-handling skills also open-up passing lanes that he exposes on the daily.
Overall, Trikozov has proven that he’s consistently one of the dangerous players in the MHL as his Excellent stickhandling ability allows him to freely make plays happen in thin air. My rating for Gleb’s Stickhandling is a 9/10
Playmaking
Trikozov’s playmaking ability is very exemplary as he can find teammates that are uncovered, and feed them with a fast, crisp pass that lands on the blade. On the powerplay, Trikozov loves to set himself up like he’s about to take a one-timer, and then make a slap-pass instead, which often get defenders off guard. Trikozov also loves to utilize cross-ice pass to either set up a one-timer or a tic-tac-toe play.
When it comes to his data, Trikozov passing metrics make him comparable to higher ranked peers like Wright, Cooley according to Will Scouch (@Scouching on twitter). Gleb actively looks and attempts high danger passing that can increase the possibility for either a tap-in or tio-in which you would want from an attacking winger. I will say however, There were times when Gleb was driving to the net where, he’s turned it over a few times. My rating for Trikozov’s playmaking ability is an 9/10
Defensive game
Despite all the strengths Gleb possess, Defence is a weakness in his game. Even though his position isn’t expected to be deep in the defensive zone like a Centre, but Trikozov rarely pitches in. He’s often seen coasting at the top of the blueline. Gleb can get away with this in the MHL, but once he plays in the AHL, there will be an adjustment. In order for Gleb to be an top 6 forward in the NHL, he needs to focus a little more in the defensive zone and put himself in a position where his defenseman can safely give him a feed. My rating for his defensive game is unfortunately an 5/10.
Summary, Comparison & Conclusion
Across many scouts, Gleb Trikozov’s ranking ranges from early first to late second round, and I personally do believe that Gleb deserves to get selected in the first round. He’s effectively shown that his offensive skills and ceiling screams Top 6 forward who can score 70-80 points, and those kinds of players are in high demand (Go figure). The strongest parts of his game are his exceptional Playmaking, solid stickhandling, and his skating; and he constantly shows that he can be in the dangerous areas of the ice in order to be in prime positioning. However, if Trikozov wants to make a smooth transition to the NHL, he’s gotta be more involved in the defensive zone as he just coasts at the top of the blueline waiting for a stretch pass from his teammates.
One player I can compare to Trikozov is Vitali Kravtsov, as both players in their draft year had excellent skating with good acceleration. They also had great puck-handling as they can create space for themselves combined with their good skating. Both also have lethal shooting abilities that could fool tons of goalies. (Hopefully, whoever picks up Gleb doesn’t ruin his development as the Rangers had with Kravtsov.)
I originally had placed Gleb at 18th on my list but recently had moved him up to 15th as he’s taken great strides in his game. I’m probably going to keep him at that spot as there are guys I would take over him before pick 15, but if you’re a team picking from the 20-32 and he falls to that spot, you’re laughing. I’m excited to see where Trikozov’s path goes as he’s oozing with offensive upside and he’s a player I’m high on in this year’s NHL Draft.
With all the number added up, Gleb Trikozov gets a rating of 38/50 which puts him in the Top 6/Upper Top 4 – Elite players category.
Video by InstatHockey
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