| Andrei Matyushin | Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk | MHL | L | C | 5’8″ | 168 | Penza, RUS | 2006 | 2024-2025: B |
Game Grade: C+
Comments: Matyushin is a skilled but undersized forward, measuring in at 5’8. He has great hands and the ability to control the puck with complete confidence under heavy pressure. He is very quick on his feet and uses his skating ability well to rush the puck up ice. He was given power play time in the bumper spot and did a good job opening up to make himself a redirection option. His best play of the game came on a rush attempt where he battled through contact and multiple sticks, maintaining possession the whole time and drawing a penalty. This has been a consistent trait of Matyushin all year; he is unafraid to get dirty and battle to win/maintain possession. Skilled player but his size holds him back.
| Alexander Kovalenko | Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk | MHL | L | D | 6’3″ | 172 | Chelyabinsk, RUS | 2007 |
Game Grade: C+
Comments: 2007 born Kovalenko is not eligible until the 2026 draft. He is a smooth skating two-way defenseman who uses edgework well to create space for himself with the puck. He made quick decisions with the puck, some were a bit rushed, but for the most part he made decent choices with the puck. He did make one terrible play while on the powerplay where he skated himself into a corner while under pressure and fumbled the puck at the offensive blue line. An opponent scooped up the loose puck and skated it the length of the ice, scoring a shorthanded goal on the breakaway. Kovalenko was also trusted on the penalty kill where he was good positionally and blocked multiple shots to protect his net. Kovalenko is not an elite player right now but has a great base to build upon and plenty of time to develop. We would not be surprised if he is the top defenseman for Sibirskie and making an early case for an early round selection in 2026.
| Yaroslav Fedoseyev | Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk | MHL | R | D | 6’0″ | 181 | Chelyabinsk, RUS | 2007 |
Game Grade: C
Comments: Fedoseyev is a November birthday born in 2006 making him a 2026 eligible defenseman. He has good size and shows some flashes of offensive skill but had a lot of trouble in this game. He had a lot of trouble controlling the puck under pressure and either fumbled it or threw the puck away without much thought. His stride is a bit short and does not generate much speed which hurts him on both sides of the puck as he is unable to keep up with the pace of play. Defensively he is going to need a lot of work. He seemed lost and was unable to get to his spots quick enough. He did not show enough effort in his own end. On one specific play he went into a battle behind the net with no intention of winning it which gave his opponent an easy route to the front of the net, resulting in a goal against. He also took an undisciplined roughing penalty while trying to battle along the boards. He could not win the battle and hit his opponent high with a cross check. He needs to become more disciplined in his own end and will need a lot of practice to become an effective defender. There were some plays where he possessed the puck with confidence, beating opponents with a quick deke while activating into the offensive zone. He also had a couple of plays where he fired well timed breakout passes into the neutral zone to start the rush. He will need to grow his confidence and improve his soft skills to be able to complete plays like this consistently. Fedoseyev was trusted with 21 minutes of ice time so there is potential that this was an off night due to his coach’s choice to play him in all situations, but we left this game unhappy with his overall performance. He has plenty of time to improve and based on the brief flashes he showed today, he has a very good chance of becoming a first round quality prospect.
| Stepan Gorbunov | Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk | MHL | L | C | 6’4″ | 196 | Chelyabinsk, RUS | 2006 | 2023-2024: C |
Game Grade: C
Comments: Draft eligible Gorbunov did not have a very good game. He was very low energy and did not contribute enough, especially later in the game. Early on he was able to get a couple of shooting chances by moving into space and receiving good passes but was unable to capitalize on any of his chances. He took pucks from the boards to the slot with confidence, but his lack of speed hurt his chances of creating a shot from his efforts. As the night went on, he became more invisible and played more of a background role. His forecheck game was not there and he did not show enough urgency with the puck to help his team. Poor showing for Gorbunov.
| Leonid Kolodiy | Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk | MHL | L | C | 6’1″ | 158 | Chelyabinsk, RUS | 2006 | 2023-2024: C+ |
Game Grade: C+
Comments: 2024 draft eligible Kolodiy is an offensive minded forward that plays a high pace game. He has quick hands which he uses well to beat defenders and is able to pull off moves with limited space. He is patient with the puck and consistently chooses good options when moving the puck and does so with a quick, crisp pass onto his teammate’s sticks. He rushed the puck up ice with speed tonight and was able to enter the zone with possession. He is uber confident and is not afraid to take pucks towards the slot. He wasn’t able to generate anything of substance and has had a bit of trouble picking up points this season but is a skilled and speedy forward with potential.
| Platon Gorokhov | Sibirskie Snaipery Novosibirsk | MHL | L | C | 6’1″ | 159 | Ufa, RUS | 2006 | Not yet rated |
Game Grade: C+
Comments: Gorkohov was very noticeable tonight due to his extremely high motor and effort while on the forecheck. It seemed like every shift he gave every bit of energy available and won many pucks for his team. We did not get to see much of him in the offensive zone, but his motor was enough to be worth mentioning.
| Alexander Pershakov | Sibirskie Snaipery Novosibirsk | MHL | L | C | 6’0″ | 168 | Novosibirsk, RUS | 2006 | 2024-2025: B+ |
Game Grade: B-
Comments: Pershakov showed off a high motor, two-way performance in this game. He battled hard on the forecheck and won races to loose puck through high effort play. He is listed as being 6’0 but looks a bit shorter than that. He was given time on the penalty kill where he played his best hockey of the night. He used his feet to stay in front of opponents and attacked with harassing stick checks at opportune times to force mistakes. He caused multiple turnovers while on the kill and was able to spring himself on two shorthanded breakaways due to his effort. He wasn’t able to convert on either of his chances due to the fact that he was at the end of his shift but showed a high compete level while on the kill. Pershakov was able to add a goal to his performance as well. A defensive lapse left him wide open in the slot during a change and his teammate fired a perfect pas onto his tape for a one touch finish past the goaltender. Pershakov is a great effort player but lacks the offensive ability to create a positive impact with the puck on his stick.
| Timofei R Popov | Sibirskie Snaipery Novosibirsk | MHL | L | D | 6’5″ | 181 | Novosibirsk, RUS | 2006 | 2023-2024: C |
Game Grade: C+
Comments: Popov is a very intriguing prospect but is unlikely to ever make a North American pro roster. Standing 6’5, he is one of the bigger defensemen in the draft and has made steady improvements over the course of the season. He still needs a lot of work to round out his game, but I liked his defensive play tonight. His skating is not great, he has very long legs which he still seems to be growing into which makes it difficult to fully keep up with the pace of the game. However, he has looked much better in his ability to move and that was shown today with a good ability to stay with opponents and push them away from the net. He angled opponents towards the boards on the rush and was much more positionally sound than he has been in the past. He did not get dragged out of position chasing pucks like we have seen in previous viewings and stuck to opponents in the crease with an active stick to take away pass options. One part of his game that we really liked today was his physicality. Whether in front of the net clearing guys from the crease or along the boards, Popov used his size and strength to make an impact all night. He finished checks hard into the glass and dropped opponents in front of the net with powerful shoves. He was not afraid to get involved in post whistle scrums either. One major problem with his game is his inability to effectively handle the puck. He fumbles it often, is unable to carry it for more than a few seconds and his passing game is far from perfect. There have been flashes of a player in Popov, but he still has far too much work ahead of him to be worth a selection in the draft. He has made tremendous improvements since the beginning of the year so it is not an insane reach to think he might be able to figure it out over the next few seasons and create a pro career for himself, but a lot of work will have to be done to make that happen.
| Matvei Nenakhov | Sibirskie Snaipery Novosibirsk | MHL | L | C | 5’10” | 157 | Novosibirsk, RUS | 2006 | 2024-2025: B+ |
Game Grade: C+
Comments: Draft eligible Nenakhov is a high energy, high paced player that performs well on both sides of the puck. He makes quick passing decisions and is not afraid to take risks in an attempt to generate chances around the net. He uses heel-to-heel skating very efficiently to generate speed when the puck is on his stick. He flies around the offensive zone with his head up and makes well timed passes to keep play moving. Nenakhov is a high paced playmaker with upside but has not been able to produce enough in his draft year for us to consider him worth a selection.
| Ilya Lyuzenkov | Sibirskie Snaipery Novosibirsk | MHL | L | C | 6’2″ | 176 | Novosibirsk, RUS | 2006 | 2023-2024: C |
Game Grade: B
Comments: Draft eligible Lyuzenkov was flying tonight. He is a 6’2 forward with a smooth and powerful stride. He uses his edges well to escape from pressure and to open up for difficult passes which he is able to catch in stride and pivot back towards the goal in one fluid motion. He uses a combination of quick feet and soft hands to slip through opponents in the offensive zone, getting to open space to generate chances with a quick pass to an open man. He was able to successfully complete passes through very small openings, threading the needle directly to teammates. Lyuzenkov scored one goal in this game that came early in the first period. He pulled a puck off of the wall behind the net and used fantastic edgework to explode into space at the bottom of the right circle. Once he got to his spot, he ripped a shot glove side high, picking the corner just inside of the elbow to give his team an early lead. Ilya was given time on the powerplay and completed quick one touch passes to catch opponents off guard. He battles hard for loose pucks, keeping his feet moving in order to keep up with opponents and attempt to win possession for his team. Solid two-way, high effort performance from Lyuzenkov. He showed great footwork and skilled, high paced play when the puck was on his stick. Lyuzenkov is worth a look but is unlikely to be picked in this year’s draft. He just has not been able to produce consistently.
Scout: Henry Lawrence