The 2023 NHL draft is filled with exclusive talent from all over the world. Canada will see their next star, Connor Bedard, go first. The United States will have talent like Will Smith emerge, and Sweden will have Leo Carlsson look to get picked in the top 5.
Despite the uncomfortable topic regarding the war in Ukraine, Russia possesses a prestigious draft class in 2023. Most notably, Matvei Michkov will finally look to put on an NHL jersey in June. The Perm native will eventually find a North American home after years of terrorizing the MHL and VHL. Players like Dmitri Simashev and Mikhail Gulyayev have made their names known in the 2022-23 season (thus far), and they’ll look to get selected in the top 40.
Although it’s doubtful we see every single player on this list get drafted, I’ve complied up my top 32 Russian (and a few Belarussian players), as well as seven honourable mentions. Looking at the class in further detail, it’s truly made me realize how impressive this draft class looks. It’s fantastic that leagues like the MHL have gotten far more competitive and skillful in the past years, and this year’s class demonstrates how much better that league has gotten.
I posted the rankings (in English and Russian) on my Twitter without much description. In today’s article, we’ll take a deeper glance at every one of the players that I’ve ranked. I hope you enjoy it!
PS: This is only the first of three parts, as these breakdowns are quite hefty.
Top 3 Talent
- Matvei Michkov – HK Sochi / KHL
This one felt pretty obvious. Matvei Michkov has been one of the most highly-anticipated players, dating back to late 2019 when he scored 70 goals in only 26 Russian U16 games. In those 4 years, Michkov has played in almost every level of Russian hockey. His obvious goal-scoring has always been a hot topic of conversation, but his playmaking and high-danger play creation ability has always been overlooked.
Michkov had a rough beginning to the 2022-23 season. Before the KHL season began, Michkov went down after a knee-on-knee collision with NHL veteran Alexander Emelin in a Belorussian pre-season tournament. Michkov would go on to miss two months of action, as well as halting a lot of his development. When Michkov returned, he was assigned to SKA-Neva St. Petersburg of the VHL. SKA-Neva happens to be SKA’s VHL team, and there he went berzerk. In only 12 pro games, Mihckov tallied 10 goals and 14 points. In that span, he appeared in 3 KHL games with SKA. He was held scoreless.
In late December, it was rumoured that Matvei wanted a chance to play in the KHL and prove himself as a player. He wasn’t getting a real shot in St. Petersburg, and Roman Rotenburg later announced that Michkov would be loaned to HK Sochi.
Before we continue, it must be made known how bad HK Sochi is. In all my years of watching hockey, I’ve never seen a team as poor and discombobulated as the 2022-23 HK Sochi team.
The main concern with Michkov is when he’s on the ice, he’s shooting the puck and finding ways to effectively drive play into the offensive zone. On a team like Sochi, it’s hard to single-handedly drive offensive loads. There’s no denying that Michkov has a tremendous shot that carries a heavy “boom” factor to it. The accuracy only tops the rocket. He’s shown tenaciousness in the offensive zone, too. His puck battles, wall battles, and overall forechecking have looked much more aggressive and agitating with Sochi. He plays with a serious will to attack the puck in the offensive zone and the effort doesn’t lack.
Even defensively, Michkov has taken a step up. He’s started to scan for open opponents and has even found ways to cover for teammates who’ve left their spots. Although he still has serious defensive issues where he’s failed to backcheck, he’s looked better. His hockey IQ does arise a massive issue. Michkov takes shots from anywhere without attempting to think out a play. He exits the defensive zones early because he’s quick to jump the gun, and he’s made poor puck decisions attacking the offensive zone. He attacks in transition looking to do whatever looks flashy instead of creating a plan and a play in his head. He’s lacked offensive and defensive awareness all year. Michkov can have moments that make you want to yell “Wake up”.
Despite these flaws, Michkov arises the best player coming out of Eastern Europe. Maybe even the best 2023-eligible European. His skillset alone makes him a viable option. The scoring on a bad team at a young age only tops it. He has a lot of flaws that’ll take years to develop, and the fact that he’ll be in Russia until 2026 is tough. Russian coaches aren’t known for creating smart, North American players. The fact that Michkov will be under contract for another three years won’t help his already staggered draft stock.
1st round talent
2- Mikhail Gulyayev – Omskie Yastreby – MHL
I previously wrote a complete breakdown of Misha Gulyayev back in December. You can find it here.
Although he started the year hot, playing in the MHL, VHL, and KHL, he’s started to slow down a ton. He’s pumped the breaks on his offensive scoring and activity, and he’s started to silence a lot of his MHL scoring. At one point, Gulyayev was 2.0 points per game in the MHL, and it was good enough for him to earn a call-up to the VHL. That later turned into a KHL call-up, where he had one point in 13 games.
Earlier in the year I considered him a serious top-15 player in this draft, but his main ability has flown out of the window since then. In recent games, Gulyayev has been a lot more focused on staying back and playing the defensive game safely. He isn’t as active with trying to chip in offensively and open himself up for scoring chances in open areas. He used to be a lot more offensively inclined, but his confidence has likely taken a toll on him. He’s started to slow down the production and he hasn’t looked as dominant as he once did. Physicality, which was one of his weaknesses, has been improved. He’s started to engage in high-pressure citations and is a lot more inclined to battle it out and take/make a hit to make a play. He still shows a ton of effort in transition and puck movement moments, but it doesn’t feel as high effort as it once did.
His calm defensive play has remained, with his overall defensive game looking much better. He doesn’t chase after unneeded pucks and he doesn’t attack players that seem frankly useless. He continues to play positionally, and he closes down on opponents once they enter a vulnerable zone. He’s shown dominance in front of the net and he’s been able to cover more area than he did at the start of the year.
While his stock and production have plummeted, Gulyayev is still a top defender in this draft class. If he can find his confidence and if he can find a way to regenerate his cycle and offensive workload, he’ll be back in that top 15 conversations. In good news, Gulyayev has appeared in one KHL and one VHL game since January 26th. Despite going scoreless in his last two MHL games, Gulyayev was called up to the VHL. He went up and down to finish the year, but he’s looked very solid in the MHL playoffs.
3) Dmitry Simashev – Loko Yaroslavl / MHL
Dmitry Simashev is an interesting player who has grown on me a ton in the last couple of months. He was put into an NHL role right out of the gate to start the 2022-23 season, and it was a really quiet start. 14 of his first 15 games this season were played in the KHL, where he was held scoreless. Since October 16th, Simashev has played most of his games in the MHL. Unlike Gulyayev, Simashev’s send-down helped him. The first few MHL games looked careless and low-effort. It was clear that Simashev thought he was too good for that league.
As time went on, Simashev looked better and better. In recent times, Simashev has garnered so much confidence to the point that he’s doing things he would’ve never done before. Simashev was always a defensive player who knew the importance of puck retrievals and positional play. His net-front coverage is nothing short of dominant. His 6’4, 201 frame helps him push opponents away from the net and make space for his goaltenders. He pins opponents to the wall in corners and sweeps the puck from their feet. His use of physical strength but also his high IQ have been a necessity for him. He defends the rush, predicting plays incredibly well in his head and he understands the importance of keeping it chill without spazzing to make a chip or a hit.
Since late December, Simashev has unlocked a new level of confidence that we’ve never seen in him. Simashev began single-handedly moving pucks in transition and he’s been attacking the offensive zone at speeds that look unstoppable. Simasehv’s skating is by far one of the most impressive things about him. He possesses a fast pace with long, powerful strides. He doesn’t have immediate explosiveness, but thanks to those strides, he gains speed as he speeds past the neutral zone. He’s also unlocked a new ability to be deceptive in tight spaces. In the defensive zone, he’s escaped pressure and found ways to get the puck into open space through the use of deception and the boards. His quick hands only help that deceptiveness, as his ability to fake long-range shots just to create a scoring chance for his teammates has been incredible to watch on the powerplay. He’s always been able to quarterback the powerplay, but only now has he mastered the cycle game.
I don’t like how overly cocky he’s gotten, though. At points, Simashev tries going end to end and it costs him a turnover. He often avoids making the simple play, and instead, goes to make a move that looks flashy and useless. I want him to maintain that ability to create high-danger chances using deceptiveness and pre-planning, but I also want him to know his limits and his want to be noticed. That being said, he’s mastered an incredibly entertaining style of defensive hockey while being physically prevalent and offensively resilient. I have full confidence in Simashev making it in the NHL as a middle-line defender who can shut down the fort but also start up long-range plays from his zone. I’m glad he’s quickly moved up everyone’s rankings recently!!
4) Timur Mukhanov – Omskie Krilya / VHL
Timur Mukhanov is Russia’s most energetic and go-getter player in the 2023 NHL draft class. His projectability as a middle-six energy forward feels certain. Mukhanov started the season off with Omskie Yastreby in the MHL. From there, he worked his way up and earned a regular roster spot with Omsk’s VHL team, Omskie Krylia.
Timur Mukhanov plays with a level of tenaciousness that makes men even twice the size of his struggle in almost every situation. Mukhanov’s smooth skating along with his ability to follow the pace of traffic has helped him maintain his spot in the VHL. Despite playing on one of the worst teams in the VHL, he’s been one of the only players on his team to start breakouts and move the puck in transition. He plays a controlled game while holding close to puck carriers and causing them to turn them over.
Mukhanov is a player coaches will love and trust to use in moments where pucks need to be battled for in corners. He digs the puck away from men twice his size, and the continues to create a breakout play or an offensive scoring chance. His pressure and aggressiveness cause him to make opponents turn the puck over in front of him. He’s a player who’s mastered the art of drop passes and little touch plays that go a long way. His passes are a ton of fun because he incorporates his craftiness from his hands into the, but pass accuracy and pass decisions need to be much better.
Although Mukhanov seems like the ideal high-energy player, he has numerous holes in his game. He’s got a ton of NHL projectability, but the worry is that his ceiling may not be higher than a third-line forward. Skill-wise he looks ahead of the curve, but there’s not much promise that he doubles what he’s done five years from now. He doesn’t show a lot of activity in transition, but when he does, he attacks the middle and his crafty hands fly out of the window. He’s random when he comes down the middle, but he often fumbles the puck simply because he has no idea what he’ll do once he’s in the zone. He’s a fluid player, but his explosiveness and his ability to tightly follow the puck on his edges are a bit rough.
With Mukhanov, you’ll be getting a promised middle-six player who plays with tenacity and sneaky sturdy offence. But you have to realize you’re drafting for what he is meant to be: a player who drives play at 5v5 and not much else. He isn’t the highest scorer (and he may never be), but his IQ, on-ice talent and effort levels make him a promising prospect.
5) Alexander Rykov – Chelmet Chelyabinsk / VHL
Alexander Rykov has unfortunately fallen in my rankings in the last few months, but that doesn’t make him any less special. He doesn’t have the same NHL promise as Timur Mukhanov, but I can confidently say he does have a higher ceiling. But let me make it clear that I’m very iffy on if I trust him reaching that ceiling.
A big concern I’ve had with Rykov is how often he gets hurt. Rykov missed most of the start of the 2022-23 MHL/VHL season with an injury. It delayed his debut until later, just for him to get injured in January once again. Rykov has not played hockey since January 16th.
Alexander Rykov’s game is a combination of sneaky attacks, a Matt-Barzal type of skating, and a high-IQ offensive ability. I don’t think there’s a smoother-skating Russian in the 2023 draft than Alexander Rykov. He utilizes quick crossovers and timely strides that provide enough power for him to zoom past opponents in transition. He does have moments where he can float around and look clueless, but he’s managed to learn the importance of actively chipping in any situation and helping out. A part of those retrievals is how smoothly picks up pucks and how he takes an awkward pass and turns it into the most creative and controlled break-in.
If you take Rykov at his best when healthy (that includes his smarts on point, total confidence, and a will to chase pucks), he may be the best player out on the ice. He’s improved so much over the season, and while he does lack a scan on defence and he does occasionally back away from the boards out of fear, I do think his ceiling makes him hard to pass on in the first round. You’ll be taking a risk at a long development with Alexander Rykov, but if you hit, you’ll hit big with a player who can play in the top six of an NHL team.
2nd Rounders
6) Daniil But – Loko Yaroslavl / MHL
Daniil But is a player you’ll see on a lot of people’s lists and for a good reason. Not often do you get such a modernized player who stands at 6’6 and has an incredible goal-scoring ability with a deadly powerplay cycle.
Although many may push for as early as the first round, he isn’t quite there. Let’s start with his goods.
For a player who stands so tall playing in a league with so much randomness and unpredictability, his skating is so smooth and so modernized. His skating makes you want to watch him endlessly. It’s so much fun despite it not being the fastest, but his technique and how cleanly he moves around in transition make him such an attractive watch. Speaking of transition, But often is the one to carry the puck into the offensive zone. And he doesn’t do it blindly, he creates a plan in his head, actively scans for secondary chances, and occasionally attempts a flashy move that has a 50/50 succession rate.
His puck skills are the same, the only difference is that his passes are very successful without a hint of anything risky or complex. But is adaptable on the powerplay and he shows flashes of incredibly skilled cycling and creation of shots through traffic on the half-wall. Thanks to his size and how smooth he is, he knows how to escape from small spaces and go on to start breakouts and/or generate momentum in the offensive and neutral zone. He works a lot better higher in the offensive zone than lower. That comes from his scanning and playmaking abilities, his shooting range, and how well he works in open spaces.
The theme you want with But is “a simple game”. When he isn’t trying anything unattainable, he can create smart and incredible plays while maintaining all of his offensive responsibilities. His shots have utmost strength with an impressive accuracy aspect that mainly works when he’s got space and away from the net. The only issue with his shooting is how late he gets those shots off. The buffering makes the shot easy to read and easy for defenders and goalies to get in position.
As for the bad in But’s game, some stuff makes me seriously concerned. His defensive game is totally outdated and frankly useless. In his zone, But stands around and puck-watches. The lack of scanning, and stick movement, and doesn’t lose anything but the spot he stands it. When he looks to exit his zone in transition, he jumps the gun and often leaves behind a wide-open player. On multiple occasions, he was so late to get back into the spot, that it became a 5 on 4. His defensive reads are rough. Complete lack of anticipation and proper engagement. It almost makes you cringe. He also fails to close lanes and other players, which leaves others easily walking past him with relatively no pressure. He gets caught lacking just way too much. Although his smarts have gotten so much smarter and he’s looked a lot more deceptive, his hockey IQ is a massive working block.
In terms of the basics, But can often lose the puck while he carries it in transition. He also chooses to shoot rather than use his creative offensive playmaking ability. It’s not that he’s selfish, but rather just making the wrong choices. His offensive and the defensive game is night and day, but even though his defensive game and IQ make him incredibly iffy, he’s still an incredibly modernized player with a deadly shot. He’s a second-rounder rather than a first-rounder because of how many things he needs to work on.
3rd Rounders
7) Roman Kantserov – Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk / MHL
Roman Kansterov is another player people will tend to rank very high. Of course, they will, he’s tearing up the MHL and he’s arguably the best player in that league. From a skills standpoint and an offensive standpoint, I don’t think there’s a better player in the MHL than Roman Kantserov. There’s a lot to like about Roman Kansterov, but there’s also a massive risk.
Kansterov’s game is purely designed for the KHL. If he develops perfectly, he will be the best player in the KHL at one point. His speed, work ethic, hands, shot, deceptiveness and flashiness makes him a player that so many will fall in love with. Trust me, I have too. Watching Kantserov explode past every defender and pull off the craziest deke for a finishing goal has made me realize how much pure skill Kansterov has. But even though he shows his dominance game after game, he comes with a big “if”.
There’s not enough confidence in the fact that he’ll play in the NHL one day. It’s a Gusev situation with an arguably possibly better player. As you can recall, Gusev succeeded best in the top six in New Jersey but started to struggle in the bottom six. He eventually returned to Russia, where he’s proven that the league is way too easy for him. With Roman, I can see it being the same thing.
Kantserov loves to show off and he doesn’t rely on smarts. A lot of his dekes are on-the-spot and very freehanded. He explodes in the offensive zone and attacks with no plan other than the one goal which is “score”. He’s incredibly deceptive using his quick hands and fast feet to burn past opponents. But defensively, he doesn’t try and he looks lost. He’s the hardest-working player out there with the puck, but without it, you’ll never even notice he’s on the ice. Not to mention how streaky Kansterov can be. He tends to get ten points in a span of five games and then goes dead silent for a good week.
Most of his production comes from open spaces and powerplay. Again, the MHL dominance and how he manages to utilize the bigger ice surface is outstanding, but it shows genuine worry for an NHL translation. I don’t doubt that he’ll eventually tear up the KHL, but this is the NHL draft we’re talking about here. With Kansterov, you’re either playing him in an NHL top-six, or you don’t play him at all. With how unpredictable Kansterov is, it just doesn’t seem that it’s a viable risk to take. You just want to see him get involved in the smaller areas and show a little more defensive willingness. You also want him to improve at even strength and utilize his teammates a bit more. With him, there’s a mentality of “I’ll do it myself”.
Kansterov on-puck has a similar work ethic to Timur Mukhanov, with the big difference being that I can see Mukhanov playing on an NHL team. Kansterov is a much bigger project with way less NHL probability. If you’re taking Kansterov in the first two rounds, you’re taking a big risk. The skills are there, but you better hope he snaps into shape, plays a little less cocky (but remains confident), and develops to be much better in tight spaces and at 5 on 5.
8) Radel Zamaltdinov – Bars Kazan / VHL
I don’t think you’ll find a Russian player in the 2023 NHL draft that possesses a harder work ethic than Radel Zamaltdimov. Once his engine is on, there’s no stopping him. And trust me, he brings that motor with every single one of his shifts. If you hop onto the newly opened Zamaltdinov hype train that only recently popped up, you’ll be getting one of the hardest-working power forwards in all of the VHL.
Despite only turning 18 in August of 2023, Radel plays like a full-grown man against other men. He may not be completely developed in terms of size and strength when it comes to battling it out with opponents, but his ability to pressure in tight spaces and chase after pucks without an end is seemingly endless. With every one of his shifts, he sways with the motion of the puck and hunts it down like a lion with its prey. He isn’t sneaky but he sure brings total compression when it comes to circling in on opponents. Being able to shove his stick into the smallest spaces and disrupt (quite literally) any oncoming play is beyond impressive.
This aggression and constant movement does come with a tax. That tax is that he can get burnt out and it starts to weigh in on his performance and scoring. He’s easy to deploy in any high-danger situation where you need possession on your side, but the issue is that he can float around when he’s not attacking. Counterpoint, though, he joins in rushes and perfectly positions himself to crash the net and get to the really dirty areas. But the point is, when he gets tired, he starts to be all loosey-goosey and starts to lose any sense of value that he brought just a few seconds ago. When he pressures, he creates havoc and disturbance to the point where opponents lose the puck and jump on any opportunity to snatch the puck up and drive to the net. He reminds me a lot of Vasili Podkolzin in his draft year, with a little less two-way ability and a bit more choppiness in terms of smoothly transitioning the puck to where he needs it to be.
To me, he’s defining his game in the MHL and VHL to the point where I can confidently point out that he’s got the perfect role in the NHL as a third-line winger who not only drives plays but also plays a hard aggression game of forechecking and total dominance in the offensive zone. If Radel continues to grow, improve his scoring efforts, and puts on even more weight, he’ll be a nightmare to play against.
A lot of his skills do originate from his incredible strength. His strides aren’t the smoothest and they may not be the fastest, but it all originates from the power he brings from the power on his legs. When he catches up to opponents to pressure them, he uses his incredible strength coming from his legs to attack with force. And despite him seeming perfect on the attack and pressure, it would be nice to see him attack from the outside rather than from the inside. He doesn’t necessarily position himself correctly to close down the opponent. It makes him easy to pass by despite him having incredible strength to pin almost anyone against the boards.
I do ponder the idea of Radel Zamaltdinov with no confidence. When he trusts himself and he believes that he can do anything, he can do anything. It’s corny to say belief in yourself but that’s the exact advice Radel needs. When he starts to shy away from the puck and doesn’t engage with the confidence he usually has, he slows down and doesn’t attack the puck like he’s supposed to. We saw that happen in his first couple of games in the VHL, and it’ll likely happen when he moves up to the KHL and NHL. But trust me, when he has his confidence, he’s a player that scouts will adore watching. They’ll push for him because he’s fun and creative, and he brings the most effort to the table every single game. He’s won me over with all of those aspects. Only a matter of time before he wins others over.
Transitioning to the NHL will be a difficult process, but a difficult process that teams should be willing to take. He hasn’t mastered the idea of playing controlled defensive hockey and he’s yet to find a way to settle down at points. His motor is really helpful, but he has to know his limits. You do not want a player who’s jumping the gun too quickly and then failing to keep it simple rather than overdoing everything. He’s lucky that in Russia, he has space and time. But on a smaller surface in North America, I’m not sure he’ll be able to keep up with how quickly the tides turn. He incorporates force and strength into everything (like passes, pressure, puck retrievals, shots, and skating), but he has to understand that there are other aspects to the game. Sometimes, he isn’t quick and agile enough to quickly switch from offensive hockey to defending the rush. He can often go for a big hit on the rush instead of slowing the game down and controlling it. The penalties he takes are an issue, too. Just too much force put into a simple stick tap can end up as an oblivious trip or slash. I’m concerned about seeing how much his pressure game will be impacted if he makes those changes. His foundation is being decreased, and it’ll be tough for him to devour in skillful hockey rather than full force.
But I do believe that Zamaltdinov will be an NHLer simply based on how much NHL teams will push their development staff to generate an NHLer out of this power forward. Radel is a player I believe many should have their eyes on.
9) Magomed Sharakanov – MHK Dynamo Moskva / MHL
Magomed Sharakanov has had an incredibly successful 2022-23 campaign, making himself the obvious best player on MHL Moskva of the MHL. The high-scoring defender looked impressive in the pre-season, before getting hurt. He came into the season a smidge later than its initial start, but he didn’t skip a beat.
Sharakanov plays a run-and-gun style of hockey where he goes full throttle with no remorse in terms of physicality. He purely relies on his size to tie up and dominate opponents in his zone and uses his massive frame to escape tight spots and even walk the ice like a day in the park.
He’s a Tasmanian devil on the ice. He sings to his beat and rocks to his drums. When he has the puck on his stick anywhere on the ice, he drives the play himself and attempts to make the play he wants. He’s not afraid to escape from his zone and rush across the ice to try to pull off a crazy move. Even defensively, he can control opponents by forcing them into the worst spots to steal the puck and escape.
But, alas, an issue arises. Sharakanov’s willingness to explode and be the most dangerous guy on the ice comes with the issue of him not passing the puck or, utilizing his teammates. He tends to ignore the simple pass on a breakout and goes right down the middle to look scary. Because of how skillful he is (which is impressive considering his size), he has enough confidence to pull off some of these moves. But when they don’t work, it’s so obvious that he doesn’t pre-plan his attacks and his speed doesn’t let him catch up quickly enough.
I think the physicality alone makes him an attractive player because of how it lets him control the ice. In the offensive zone, he shields himself away and cycles the puck. In transition, he pushes through opponents without a finger laid on him, and defensively he completely takes the ice away. I do believe that he’s got a North American style of play, but being able to play positional hockey while maintaining a consistent teammate style of play is a massive work in progress. But thanks to his size, physicality, and scoring, I can see him being a top 100 player in the NHL entry draft.
10) Ignat Lutfullin – SKA-Varyagi St. Petersburg / MHL
I don’t think there’s a more entertaining Russian than Ignat Lutfullin. This doesn’t make him necessarily better than the names mentioned, but when he’s on a heater, he’s the most fun and noticeable player on the ice.
Lutfullin tends to go crazy down the middle and pull off the most modernized deke you’ll ever see. Have you ever watched an NHL 23 highlight video where dekes that defy gravity occur? Ignat Lutfullin is the MHL version of that highlight video. Lutfullin plays a highly flashy offensive game that lets him drive offensively and get the puck to the net using a total flash. The moves this player pulls off make even the commentators gasp, as he looks like he’s just having fun out there.
Unfortunately, because of the lack of time on SKA-1946, it’s likely Lutfullin doesn’t get drafted. Reasonably, that’s a fair statement seeing how lacklustre defensively he can be and that the dependence of his game transitioning to the NHL is uncertain in the slightest. Lutfullin loves to score goals from creative chances, and he loves to make the game fun. But the truth is that he hasn’t learned the balance between a simple and thought-out play and a quick little deke that makes him look good. He still hasn’t fully defined and he’s a player that scouts would love to keep a tab on going forward.
Lutfullin is a player who you draft because you want to bring the funk. You want a player who can drive the offensive game to his rhythm and pull off crazy flashy dekes that make him look like a star. The succession rate? I’d give it 50/50. But when he’s on a heater, and he remains confident and ready to attack, he’s an offensive dynamo ready to take control of the offensive threshold.
Lutfullin won’t get drafted by NHL teams and that’s because he’s a massive risk. There are a ton of other names I have ranked here that would be safer choices. But in terms of skill, flash, overall ability and performance in the offensive zone, and for the sake of him being just such an incredibly fun player, I have him ranked in my third-round mark. Hopefully, an NHL team takes a risk on this (positively good) roller coaster of a player.
11) Alexander Suvorov – Severstal Cherepovets / KHL
At 11th I have our first coverage and our only DY+2 player ranked. Alexander Suvorov has been watched by numerous scouts these last couple of years, and he’s been passed on in those years. Suvorov left the Dinamo Minsk club over the summer and joined Severstal Cherepovets and it has done miracles for him.
Suvorov has emerged as a solid middle-six player for Severstal this season and he’s been able to show his creativity and versatility on 5v5 and even strength. Suvorov has shown promise on a poor KHL team and he’s been able to show that he’s capable of taking on drastic minutes and tough competition.
Alexander Suvorov is a player who’s proven to me that he’ll transition to the NHL with almost no hesitation. He is under a KHL contract for a while, but he’ll be there eventually. This is an Andrei Kuzmenko situation, except NHL teams have the opportunity to take this player in the draft and have the upper hand if he comes to North America.
With that in mind, Suvorov is a quick skater with a deadly shot that is used correctly in the powerplay. His wind-up is quick and his release is powerful. With every shot, Suvorov knows how to find the far side and his shots look like bullets. They penetrate the net and he doesn’t shoot to score; he shoots to rip the netting off. Suvorov loves to help out as the secondary man in transition and he loves making little set plays that let his teammates feed off of what he starts. Suvorov is a fun, high-energy, open-space type of player who can ride the play quickly at an unmatchable pace. I do want him to focus more on stopping on plays rather than fly-bys, and the careless taps that he gives instead of battling on the walls. I do think he’ll learn the importance of these little things once he plays on a smaller ice surface, but the things he’s done in the KHL as a DY+2 have convinced me he’ll be a great bet for an NHL team.
If he doesn’t get picked, I expect him to get a ton of attention as a free agent once he hits the market.
With the first 11 players out of the way, I hope you enjoyed the first part of my 2023 Russian Draft Rankings! There will be another 2 parts following this one.