| Ilya Ivanov | Dinamo-Shinnik Bobruysk (MHL) | MHL | L | RW | 5’10” | 146 | Zhlobin, BLR | 2005 | Not yet rated |
Game Grade: B-
Comments: Draft eligible Ivanov had a great game tonight. He showed off high end speed and some very skilled hands. He made skilled drag moves on the rush and was able to create a shot attempt off of one of them in the first period. He is a very speedy forward and used his footwork to make plays on both sides of the puck. He was given both powerplay and penalty kill time and was reasonably effective on both. One thing that Ilya needs to work on is getting into better space to support teammates without the puck. He often got too close to the puck carrier and put himself in positions where if the puck was passed to him, he would be easily closed off by a nearby defender. He needs to be more aware of opponents around him and creep into better space in the offensive zone. Solid night but needs improvement.
| Nikolai Salygo | Dinamo-Shinnik Bobruysk (MHL) | MHL | L | C | 6’1″ | 161 | Zhlobin, BLR | 2005 | 2023-2024: C |
Game Grade: C+
Comments: Draft eligible Salygo buzzed around tonight. He showed off great speed and good footwork, using his edges to escape opponents with the puck and maneuver out of tight spots. He was trusted on the penalty kill and power play doing well in both situations. He is a dependable, high paced, and skilled forward that should turn into an offensive catalyst over the next few seasons.
| Yegor Graf | SKA 1946 St. Petersburg | MHL | R | LW | 5’10” | 174 | Barnaul, RUS | 2006 | 2023-2024: B |
Game Grade: B-
Comments: Graf had a much better game that we have witnessed from him in recent weeks. He played at a high pace all night and showed off more effort without the puck than we have seen recently. He made solid backchecks and came away with a few steals that he was able to turn up ice quickly with a tight turn and quick pass. He showed more confidence on the rush and was able to control the puck for a bit longer than normal and set up a scoring chances with passes. Even with these improvements, there is a huge flaw in his game that can’t be overlooked . He very rarely scans up ice and does not want the puck on his stick for very long. Typically when he gets the puck he picks his head up and fires the puck toward the first teammate he sees. This often is not a good option and leads to a ton of turnovers. He needs to be a lot more patient with the puck and hold onto it for a few extra seconds while scanning the ice. If he slows down his decision making a bit and learns to identify better options/escape pressure by skating away from it, he will make himself a much higher quality player and create offense for his team.
| Matvei Korotky | SKA 1946 St. Petersburg | MHL | R | C | 5’11” | 170 | Krasnoyarsk, RUS | 2005 | 2023-2024: C+ |
Game Grade: A-
Comments: Another good showing from Korotky tonight. He showed off his tremendous speed, quick hands and high end passing ability. He made active scans with the puck and was able to execute some brilliant passes that resulted in high quality scoring chances. Early in the game he picked the puck up in the corner, lifted his head and saw a teammate moving into the slot, he made a quick pass straight to their tape and created a 1v0 scoring chance. Later in the first, he held the puck in the corner and made a quick, no-look + through the legs pass straight to a teammate that he found using a quick scan before receiving the puck. His prettiest pass came in the second. He came into the zone in transition with a lot of speed. Matvei then wound up as if he was going to fire a slap shot on goal, got the defender to bite, then slipped a perfect pass over to his teammate for an easy one time goal past a sliding goalie. There was one last great pass in the third period. He had just entered the zone on a 2v1 and the defenseman stepped up to make a play. He extended his arms around his man and fired a perfectly placed backhand to his teammate in the slot for a great shot on goal. Matvei uses his speed to beat defenders. He doesn’t allow for much time to make a play on him as he uses his quick feet to dart straight around his man. Great game from Korotky. He has consistently been one of the best in the MHL and continues to impress with each viewing.
| Mark Slivchenko | SKA 1946 St. Petersburg | MHL | L | C | 5’10” | 161 | Moscow, RUS | 2006 | 2023-2024: B- |
Game Grade: C+
Comments: Slivchenko looked like the flash out there with his acceleration ability. He zoomed all over the ice and used his speed well to create scoring opportunities when jumping up on the rush. He sprung himself on multiple breakaways by out racing opponents. He created separation with his speed but had a bit of trouble finishing his chances. He was able to pick up a great goal in the second off of a feed from Korotky that he buried with a one timer, picking up his first goal of the season. Mark is a bit undersized but his high pace, energy, and skill allow him to stand above the rest and generate many chances.
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Player Evaluations: Henry Lawrence