Welcome back to my top-32 Russian rankings! In the first part, I broke down the top 11 Russians in the upcoming 2023 draft class. In today’s part, we’ll go over the next few players.
This is the second of three parts to these rankings. I’ve posted the full 32 players (in English and Russian) on my Twitter:
4th Rounders
12- Denis Malov – Omskie Yastreby / MHL
Denis Malov isn’t the most entertaining player or the most fun player to watch, but he gets the job done and I do believe he possesses certainty.
Denis Malov plays a defence-first style of hockey that doesn’t carry a lot of offence. That doesn’t mean there isn’t any, because there is. On the occasion that he does engage and pucks go his way, he’s able to drive to the net and generate open space for himself. He’s also mastered the idea of a cycle, which makes him a viable option for his team to play him net-front and low on the powerplay. At points, he does start to lose patience and he attempts to make rushes that he isn’t capable of making, but the blueprint is there.
Defensively, Malov is big on the idea of scanning and playing for his teammates. Whenever there’s a teammate misplaced, he’ll often come to cover that spot based on how much of an issue he sees the opposite play. He plays like a true centerman in the sense that he’s everywhere and he plays with purpose. He activates in wall battles, and he chases pucks that nobody else will. He’s a cool, calm, collected player who slows the game down to his level. That’s how he takes over in the defensive zone and helps start the breakout.
I’m not a fan of his puck control and his skating. His puck control is easily disturbed as he hasn’t mastered protecting the puck using his body. He also has stiff hands that don’t let him move the puck around as creatively as some of his 2023 draft-eligible counterparts. He wants to be flashy and he wants to show off when he’s got the puck, but the lack of hands doesn’t let him do that. As for his skating, it’s choppy and it’s really slow. Skating is a fixable aspect of hockey, but it’ll be a while before Malov fully masters it. He does have the strength and I’m sure he has leg strength too, but he just isn’t able to use it. As for his choppiness, he bounces too often and his legs haven’t found a rhythm that helps him move around the ice too smoothly.
Malov will take a minute to develop and patience will be the game with him, but because of his two-way ability and his dependability, I think NHL teams should be willing to take a risk with him somewhere in the 4th round. He’s got the assets that will help him develop into a pro-level player.
13- Nikita Baklashev – MHK Dynamo Moskva / MHL
Nikita Baklashev has slowly climbed his way up my rankings these last couple of months. I think he’s maintained a top-15 spot in my rankings.
Nikita is a player you’ll have to keep working on before you get a high-level player. But if you hit, you’ll hit big. Baklashev— by far— has been the best defenseman in Russia in terms of breaking the puck out and setting up teammates for the rush. He regroups real quick, he finds the puck in areas nobody else can, and he’ll begin to move the puck out. He’s most active in regroups and transition moments, and you won’t see him too defensively. Offensively, he shines.
His shot has a real “zing” factor to it that makes its way to the net through traffic. On breakouts and high in the offensive zone, he loves to toy with opponents and use his deceptiveness tools to find open space while driving opponents away from the puck. I can’t stress how good he is at shaking off opponents and being deceptive enough to even fool me.
His puck movements in general are terrific. He’s a magician with the puck on his stick with the mindset of “create, create, create”. He’s got a will to always make the puck movement, and it fits the bill of any modern-day defender in the NHL. When he’s got the puck, he’s got confidence on his side, and he’s got that energy, he’s a ton of fun to watch as a cycle player.
His defensive game can get very quiet because of how little he chases pucks. He’s forced to play a net-coverage role, yet he struggles with pushing opponents away and making sure the area is secure. Unfortunately, he lets too many opponents get into the sneaky areas. By the time he notices them, it’s too late. He’s a decent defender when it comes to defending the rush as he follows opponents using his stick and hauls them down when they’re in a position where they can’t do much. He can put pressure on opponents, but it’s not consistent enough to make a difference.
Nikita Baklashev does come with a workload defensively, but his puck movement abilities and his offensive skill set make him a fun player. He’s a scary deceptive offensive defender who understands the value of utilizing teammates. He utilizes them in cycles and on breakouts, and that alone has impressed me enough to think he’s one of the better players out of Russia this year.
5th-6th Rounders
14- Mark Ulyev – Loko Yaroslavl / MHL
Mark Ulyev is a player who I liked. I’m probably a lot higher on him than most, and that’s okay. I don’t even see him getting drafted, but I believe he should. Why won’t he get picked, you say? His size. He’s a small player who doesn’t play big either. It’s probably going to drive away teams, and that’s okay.
Ulyev is an explosive skater who resembles a lot of Quinn Hughes when he skates. He plays with an active pace and plays with a sense of urgency. You’ll never catch him lacking, and he’ll always catch you lacking instead. He scans plays in all three zones and it helps him move around the puck while maintaining structural importance and a sense of smart hockey. He can get scattered a bit but he learns to stay back and hold on. He loves to break out the puck and he loves using his quick little hands to move the puck around in transition. He tries to incorporate deceptiveness, but it isn’t there quite yet.
He’s got a very average short guy skating attitude and it’s an attitude I do like. He can get chippy and he does love to incorporate himself in the offensive zone and rush, but he does stay back and he does know what it means to stay back. Physicality seriously lacks, and it comes in many ways. He’s easy to tie up and east to steal the puck off, as well as his rare appearances in vulnerable spots. Just doesn’t engage as much as I’d like him to.
He closes down lanes while defending and I think his promise for European hockey is there. Whether an NHL team wants to work on him or not, he’ll be a pretty fun player to keep track of. His scoring isn’t nearly what it needs to be, but the way he engages offensively, the way he wires the puck, and the way he plays with so much urgency and so much will show that he will eventually score. Will he be drafted, or will he not? That’s a question solely based on size. But if I’m picking, I’m willing to take a risk on a small, but creative defender like Mark Ulyev.
15- Mikhail Ilyin – Almaz Cherepovets / MHL
I like Mikhail Ilyin because of how smart he is. That’s why he’s listed here today.
Ilyin has a North American skating style that doesn’t require too much repairing. But he also isn’t the quickest player. He doesn’t have anything pure skill-wise that makes him stand out. He does his job as a two-way player while remaining flashy (on an inconsistent basis) and he tries to engage in as much offensive work as possible. On the skills level, you’re getting what you expect out of a mid to later-round pick.
But he’s a really smart player. He pre-plans plays in his head and he’s always quick to be effective in any aspect. He kills penalties, he loves to cook on the powerplay, and he activates in transition. He knows the importance of a back check and a proper defensive structural workload, so it makes him a viable 200-foot player. He’s gained KHL and VHL experience because of how mature he is for his age. You don’t need Ilyin to be mega-skilled or super flashy, you need him to think and use his brain. That’s how he generates: he outsmarts opponents and paves the way for his teammates to succeed.
He has cold spots but even in those times of struggle, he still manages to create and be a great two-way player who takes on defensive reps. Ilyin is a player coaches will rely on in almost every aspect and that’s why I think he’s a viable player. If you want NHL promise, the best you can get out of the MHL is very possibly Mikhail Ilyin. He’s a reliable player and I’m relying on him right now as I rank him in my top 15. Ilyin will dominate the KHL using his smarts, and I could see him being useful in the NHL for the same reasons.
16- Artyom Kashtanov – Avto Yekaterinburg / MHL
Artyom Kashtanov is a player I’ve had on a ton for the second half of the MHL season. His massive 6’6 frame is just the tip of the iceberg. He’s impressed me with how well he’s controlled open ice and how fluidly he’s been able to generate puck movement. Kashtanov plays with an edge and explodes past opponents using his strong, lengthy stride.
Artyom can find himself even in the smallest spaces despite his size covering almost everything. He plays by putting his foot down and working for what he wants. He pushes through opponents while incorporating fancy little dekes and stick plays that make him look so smooth and so agile. Kashtanov isn’t flashy, nor is he wholly rounded out, but he’s an incredibly satisfying player to watch. The fact that he’s able to pull off such smooth and controlled plays while standing so tall astonishes me.
That being said, he relies on open ice way too much. He flutters too much for my liking and he still hasn’t mastered a way of finding himself busy. You can often catch him watching out into space and not being involved in the play as much as he should be. That puts a tax on his defensive game, which worries me, seeing how he’s been deployed as a two-way guy on Avto this year. These little tidbits are fixable and they don’t possess too much risk, but it does make me iffy on whether he’s able to translate to North American ice or not. But the tools Kashtanov carries, along with his fluidity and size, make him a really attractive option for NHL teams in June.
17- Ilya Kvochko – Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk / MHL
Admittedly, Ilya Kvochko hasn’t taken the step up I’ve been hoping for him to take. I was honestly shocked when he wasn’t drafted last season, despite him being ranked relatively high by most people. I’m not sure if the reason his DY+1 hasn’t been great is because of that, but I’m not going to guess either.
Ilya Kvochko is an offensive dynamo who still hasn’t been able to glue it all together quite yet. With Ilya, you’ve got all the tools and you have the supplies; you’re just waiting for him to find a consistent scoring pace, as well as an opportunity and a finishing touch. Kvochko drives play left and right and is the main puck mover in transition. He and Roman Kantserov have looked flashy all season long, but he just hasn’t been able to score as Kansterov has. Kvochko’s pace is high despite his feet lacking range, and he knows how to drive play to his ability. What he does is he slows the game down to his pace, thinks out a play, and attacks it. Deceptiveness is a big “if” when it comes to Kvochko. You’re either getting an out-of-the-box play that sees him threading the needle for a flashy pass, or he looks too predictable and defenders read him all too well.
Kvochko has so much untapped offensive potential, and I don’t think Kantserov would be as productive without him. The production hasn’t increased and he didn’t get a single look in the KHL this year, but Kvochko has upped himself as an offensive workhorse this year. He knows how to create, he understands the concepts that help his team score. But he hasn’t put it together yet. That’s why I think he’ll get passed on this year. You’re risking a guy who may never find the offensive finishing touches. He’s a project and comes with a big warning label, but if he finds that scoring touch that his linemate, Roman Kantserov, has, he could be a decent long-term solution for teams.
18- Vladimir MIkhalyov – Sibirskie Snaipery Novosibirsk / MHL
I find Vladimir Mikhalyov an under-the-radar type of guy. He’s a player who doesn’t produce much, and he doesn’t do much that makes him flash or stand out. But he sure is a player that plays the game the right way and finds a way to be productive on and off the puck. I’m sure many will be surprised to see MIkhalyov above his teammate, Yegor Klimovich, but that’s how I see the game.
Mikhalyov is a smart winger who finds ways to get himself into open spaces and dig up pucks that seem unattainable. He sneaks up on opponents and gets under their skin by playing an aggressive go-getter style of hockey. He steals pucks, battles his way around opponents to drive the net, and makes himself useful every time he touches the puck. In transition, he’s usually the third guy that doesn’t have puck touches. That being said, he recovers for his teammates and he knows how to drive the play without the puck. He crashes the net, outpaces and outsmarts opponents, and he makes himself a viable player.
Mikhalyov has consistency issues as he does have periods where he can go scoreless, but he’s managed to smooth out his game. He moves around the ice like he’s hunting for any opportunity, he adapts to certain situations, and he’s utilized by coaches in almost every aspect. At 5v5, he defends with calmness and scanning. He moves his stick into the right spaces to block out any open lanes. On the PK, he chases you down and makes life harder. He completely shuts down anyone and his engine runs. He’s so sneaky. In the offensive zone, he can crash the net without anyone noticing. Defensively, his stick checking comes out of nowhere and he can pickpocket anyone if he positions his stick right. He can do tremendous things when he’s given time at 5v5 and on the power play.
Again, the fact that he’s a loose cannon and he isn’t defined makes me wonder how sure you can be with Mikhalyov. Sibir is a growing team and I do trust their development staff to make Mikhalyov much more defined, but it’ll be a bit of time before he is 100%. I also don’t see much of a ceiling with Mikhalyov. What has he done in his situation? It’s terrific. But aside from being a smart, energy, play-driving player who can (maybe) defend penalties, there’s not much to look forward to. A fourth liner in the NHL at maximum. He’s a smart player with a terrific playing ability, I’m just worried about him becoming anything in North America one day.
19- Yegor Rimashevsky – MHK Dynamo Moskva / MHL
I’ve been surprised by how much love Rimashevsky has been getting, but I won’t argue against it. I don’t want to necessarily argue for it either, though.
Rimashevsky missed a massive part of the season with an injury. He came back late into the year, though. Rimashevsky started the season off hot, slowed down a tad, and found his way back to a steady-ish pace toward his injury. I do wish that I could’ve had more time with Yegor, but his scoring pace after his injury helped me gain some love for him.
Before he went down, I found that his skating was mediocre and his pace felt quiet. He only tried in games that “mattered” and were close. But when his team was losing a substantial amount and/or the team he was playing against wasn’t good, he just didn’t show any effort. I’d rather not talk about how lazy and selfish he plays when he doesn’t try, so I’ll quickly run by what makes him a player worth a draft pick.
His two-way ability has a sneaky yet aggressive forecheck ability. He covers using stick movements and lanes are always closed when he’s around. He’s able to fluctuate from offensive strategic hockey to a shutdown defensive ability, and it reminds me of Phillip Danault in these cases. These moments where he switches from end to end make me believe that he possesses a ton of potential. I don’t think he contains a lot of elusiveness or plain skill, but he does manage to create using a simple and consistent game. He keeps to the basics, and he plays really “black and white”. His game makes me think there’s untapped North American potential there, but how certain is it? There’s not a high ceiling with him and I don’t even know if he cares enough at points to make that translation, but if he’s able to live up to what he does when he’s trying, I’m sure he can make himself a viable draft pick.
20- German Tochilkin – Kunlun Red Star / KHL
Getting loaned to Kunlun Red Star is usually seen as a punishment in Russia. But for the DY+1 draft prospect, German Tochilkin, getting loaned to Kunlun Red Star turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
German Tochilkin has played for 4 different teams in 3 different leagues in the 2022-23 season. His rights belong to Spartak Moskva, a KHL team notorious for fumbling gold-given prospects. We’ve seen players like Nikita Chibrikov and Alexander Nikishin fail in the Spartak system, which has always made it much harder to draft valuable players from the organization. Lucky for Tochilkin, he was loaned to the lone-Chinese team in the KHL, and there, he blossomed.
Despite not scoring too much, Tochilkin has found a consistent KHL rhythm where he’s been able to use his chaotic play style to his advantage. He plays with a sense of randomness but also quick and skillful aggression which he uses to throw pucks at the net while dodging opponents like he’s in some sort of video game. He loves to move around and make himself noticeable. The way he’s managed to handle himself in small areas while maintaining his creativity and randomness makes me think he’s going to be able to do that in the NHL one day. It’s really hard to draw up a comparable, but I could see Tochilkin being a fun bottom 6 player that’ll find ways to entertain fans. He sure as heck entertained me in the KHL despite not scoring as much.
Tochilkin jumps on any opportunity he gets and I doubt we’ve even seen the best of him. His defensive positioning is smart but he needs to find a way to round it out a bit more. Maybe incorporate more stick activity and possibly even use the body a bit more. His pressure game is hectic, but it isn’t concrete. Too many fly-bys and taps. He reads plays super well, and that includes both his teammates and opponents. It lets him distrust plays and it lets him drive away any oncoming traffic. When he’s got a hand-on-hand understanding with his teammates, they can outplay and outsmart anyone.
Does he get picked? I sure hope so. His consistent work in the KHL on a poor team has made me think that with proper development and proper ice time, he’ll be able to bring that sense of urgency and enthusiasm to the NHL.
21- Nikita Susuyev – MHK SPartak Moskva / MHL
I’m drawing back to what I said earlier about Spartak Moskva’s development. I simply do not trust Spartak to create something out of Nikita Susuyev, a prospect I haven’t been as impressed with.
Susuyev gets a ton of attention and I think that comes back to his two-goal game in the KHL a few months back. Scoring two goals in the second-best league in the world at 17 years old is amazing, don’t get me wrong. But when we talk about translation and NHL trust? I can’t see it.
His ceiling isn’t there because of how little he contributes. He has moments where he can outplay opponents and use the boards as a way of making plays— he does that a ton. But his speed doesn’t match my liking and it isn’t smooth or developed enough for me to have enough trust in. His smarts are 50/50, and when he can’t think out a play well enough, it becomes a liability and he panics his way out of making anything happen. The work ethic is something that angers me. Ever since he was sent down to the MHL, he’s stopped caring and his games are on-and-off. I know he has more in him, but he isn’t acting as he does. If he doesn’t get what he wants on a silver platter, how much is he willing to work for it?
Susuyev is “good”, but he’s not great. He does his job well as a forward who can finish up on created plays and he’s able to have offensive positives, but in terms of finding ways to make him a viable prospect, I can’t see it. He’s just got too much that lacks and I don’t see Spartak fixing any of those issues anytime soon. I’m sure he’ll do well in Russia— he’s already achieved so much! But I just can’t see much of an NHL player in Nikita Susuyev. Not until he puts full effort in, anyways.
22- Mario Patalakha – MHK Dynamo Moskva / MHL
Mario Patalakha was born in Paris, France in case anyone was interested.
The theme with Mario is that you’re getting a fully-defensive minded player who probably expected more out of himself in the second half of the year. When he started the year off, he couldn’t score and he couldn’t get the points. But he looked like a rock defensively and he was able to play calm, shut-down defensive hockey. That was his entire shtick, and I didn’t worry about his offensive game because of how defined the defensive game was.
As time went on, that defensive game became a bit too quiet and lost the complexity that it possessed earlier. I noticed that Mario would attempt to activate a lot more offensive, and that made him forget the importance of defensive play. At the start of the year, his best aspect was defending the rush. Closing in on gaps, boxing out opponents, and overall control coming back was unbeatable. Instead, he forgot about that to focus on just shooting the puck.
What Mario’s done recently has been a mix of blindly firing the puck at the net and walking low into the offensive zone at the worst possible times. I want the defensive backer back that I saw at the start of the year. It could be a coaching request seeing that he’s been a lot more offensively active, but I’d expect some of his defensive game to sustain. I do think he’s worth a pick because of what he’s been able to do. It’s not easy to actively defend as he did, I just wonder how long and how hard it would be to get that top-tier defending back. I had him as early as 11th in my rankings because of his defensive skill, but it’s all been downhill from there.
I have enough trust that an NHL team will take a chance on him and attempt to develop a defensive player out of him. It’ll take time, and you’ll have to suppress his offensive willingness, but I do think that defensive skill is worth any sort of risk.
23- Nikolai Khvorov – Omskie Yastreby / MHL
Nikolai Khvorov is a boring player. I genuinely found myself getting tired every time I watched him play.
But man, can this guy create.
Khvorov has a terrific ability to create plays and make deceptive passes through the transition. He doesn’t have insanely fast speed or super creative hands, but thanks to his eyesight and play predictability, he’s been able to set up teammates in almost any situation without much trouble. He’s learned how to continue this passing plays in the offensive zone, figuring out how to master the art of the cycle. His respective team has been able to utilize him down low on the powerplay, and I expect that to translate to the NHL.
I don’t think Khvorov fits the bill to be your average Joe KHLer. But I do think it fits the bill for a North American player. He relies on smarts rather than pure skill and when you watch him, you can’t make a hectic player out of him. He’s super quiet, super calm, and a very composed player that uses his smarts over his skills. But what’s his ceiling? I can’t see it being more than a fourth-liner. I feel like he’ll be a decent option for NHL teams to use as a player who can move the puck and maybe help out lower-level guys battle it out, but I can’t see him achieving too much.
From a ceiling perspective, I just don’t see much. But I do think his smarts and puck-movement skills warrant a pick. I don’t think it’s an early pick, but I feel like if you want more North American certainty (not NHL), you have to draft Nikolai Khvorov. I would like to see more goal-scoring in the MHL. The fact that he only scored 7 goals in his DY+1 season doesn’t do him any favours. But to balance it out, he scored 6 points in 7 VHL games to wrap up the season. That gives me hope he’ll be able to grow. Maybe he’s just a late bloomer?
24- Yegor Klimovich – Sibirksie Snaipery Novosibirsk / MHL
The MHL is far too easy for a player like Yegor Klimovich. His pure skill and his ability to get down and dirty have made him a flashy and fun player to watch this year. Despite his injury, he never slowed down and he never hiccuped. His scoring maintained consistency and the ability to score Michigans and get flashy makes him a player that every modern-day hockey fan wants on their team.
So what puts him so low on this list?
Klimovich’s game is destined to be great in the KHL. That type of skill and that usage of open-ice athleticism is ideal for European circumstances where the ice is more extensive and the game relies on skill. But in the NHL, I’m not sure he’ll survive.
His size isn’t preferable, and he doesn’t play heavy. He’s easy to knock off the puck (if he doesn’t deke your pants off) and he doesn’t possess much puck possession skill. He tries to use his body, but because of his weak size, he’s resorted to simply faking out opponents. How sustainable is that? I’m sure I don’t know, but it’s a risk I don’t think teams are ready to take.
Klimovich incorporates Flash and Dekes and he’s just so much fun to watch. He’s a player who’s got every modern quality. Just think of a Russian Trevor Zegras but even flashier and just a wild gun. If you let Klimovich run free, that guy will do anything you could ever think of. His deals are creative and the stuff he pulls off is amazing.
But the NHL isn’t something I can see happening. Defensively, he’s a total outlier. He doesn’t contribute, he stands around, and I can’t explain how many times I’ve seen him blindly leave the zone for no reason. He cherry-picks a ton and he fails to produce plays out of nothing. He always needs it set up in his hands, he just finishes well. Another issue is that he can’t work in smaller spaces. That makes me wonder, can he ever? With his size? I don’t see that as a possibility, especially if you want that in the NHL.
Klimovich may get picked high and he’ll have a ton of supporters simply because of how flashy and modernized he is. How high does he get picked? I am sure rounds 3-4 aren’t off the table. But because of how wild he is and how underdeveloped his basic smarts are, I just can’t see myself taking him that early. Again, his skills, flashiness, and production alone are worthy of a pick. It’s all about how he develops and how he’s able to use those skills to round out his game.
25- Eduard Golodnyuk – Omskie Yastreby / MHL
I doubt that Eduard Golodnyuk gets licked in the 2023 NHL entry draft, but I full-heartedly believe that he should. The level of skill, effort, and overall dominance Eduard shows on a game-to-game basis has convinced me that he’ll eventually bring a sense of urgency and pace to North America.
Eduard Golodnyuk struggled with scoring and producing in the regular season, and that sucked considering how dominant he was with every shift. When he scored, he scored in bunches. Eduard’s pace feels like a Tyler Motte to it with a mixture of quick feet and a constant forecheck. He adores forcing himself into little areas and grinding away at the puck. When he does retrieve it, he toys with opponents by holding the puck onto his stick and almost teasing opponents with his deceptive touches. Sometimes, he does a little too much and it slows him down or causes a turnover. But then again, it is Russian hockey, and what player doesn’t do that?
I’m fully convinced that Golodnyuk has figured out the MHL, but the scoring remains a red flag. He can’t seem to pot one. Looking through my notes, I persistently wrote that he would always set up his teammates, but they would never finish for him. I do think that if Golodnyul gets taken off the bottom six, he’ll be able to construct a better point total. He’s a long-term project, but getting a tight, hard-working player like Eduard in the later stages would be great for any team.
I do think he’s got a promise to be a high-energy constant-forecheck player for an NHL team one day. His development window is a bit wider and it will take longer than I think most teams prefer, but I have a sense he’ll be in the NHL eventually. I can see a point against him being that you can find bottom six players anywhere, and Russia may not be the best place to get one. While I think that is warranted, I doubt you’ll be able to find any players with this level of competition and these many plain skills like Golodnyuk. He does have the skills and the tools, I’m just wondering: how will he utilize them? Eddie is probably the player I’m most excited to see in his DY+1.
That concludes part 2 of my rankings. Part 3 will be released shortly, and that will be the third and final part of these rankings.