| Nikolai Salygo | Dinamo-Shinnik Bobruysk (MHL) | MHL | L | C | 6’1″ | 161 | Zhlobin, BLR | 2005 | 2023-2024: C |
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Salygo had a great game tonight and was able to generate a majority of Shinnik’s chances with his speed and confidence on the rush. He had a great pace to his game and transitioned the puck very well. He escaped pressure with turns away from opponents and was able to pull off a couple of slick moves past defenders into space. He powered his way into the zone, keeping the puck active with continuous stick handles and was able to push his way into lanes created by his own effort. He took every opportunity to shoot and was able to pick up an assist off a rebound from one of his shots. He looked solid on the powerplay and was able to generate a couple chances through his movements and passes. I want to see him pick his head up more with the puck. There were a ton of chances where he could have moved the puck to a teammate in a more dangerous spot if he had seen him earlier. He needs to make his passes have more purpose behind them. He often threw the puck towards a clogged lane, threw behind the back passes without looking, or missed a better target by passing to the closest man. He looked much better in tonight’s game than I have seen him play so far this season. I’m not sure he can keep this rate of play up consistently but I’d love to see him try.
| Alexei Dontsov | Krasnaya Armiya Moskva | MHL | L | C | 5’9″ | 176 | Moscow, RUS | 2006 | 2023-2024: B |
Game Grade: B
Comments: Dontsov is a guy that has really frustrated me this year. He is an insanely skilled and quick player when he is giving it his all but does not give a full effort in 80% of his shifts. This game was a perfect example of that. For the first two periods he was nearly invisible. I barely took any notes on him and when I did it was because he forechecked with no effort, backed out of races he could have easily won, or coasted around the ice when he did not have the puck. In the third period when he finally woke up a bit, he was able to create two gorgeous goals due to his speed, quick hands, and great vision. The first came early in the third period when he anticipated and stole a pass in the slot, made a hard cut to the net while showing off with a couple of stick handles, and then hit his teammate on the doorstep for a tap in finish. The second came later in the same period when he rushed along the wall into the OZ with a ton of speed. He cut towards the cage with an arm extended to keep the puck away from the defender, then as he got close enough, he slipped a perfect hook pass to his line mate who had just entered the slot for another tap in finish. Dontsov is one of the most skilled Russian players in this class but for whatever reason he doesn’t try for most of the game. Going into the third I was going to put him in the 4th tier and the only thing keeping him in the 3rd were these gorgeous assists. I would love to put him higher in my rankings because he is a truly gifted player but if he is going to coast around for most of every game, I’m going to rate him based on that effort. His hands, speed, and vision are draftable but that motor is horrendous.
| Ilya Pautov | Krasnaya Armiya Moskva | MHL | L | RW | 5’10” | 165 | Novosibirsk, RUS | 2006 | 2023-2024: C+ |
Game Grade: A
Comments: Pautov had a whale of a game tonight, finishing with a hat trick consisting of 3 pretty goals. He had the motor going tonight and was rewarded for his efforts without the puck. He joined battles and was able to swing momentum towards his club. The best part of his game tonight was his ability to accelerate into space and become a fantastic target which led to all three of his goals. The first came in early in the game when he cut to space in the slot on a 2v1. His teammate slipped a pass through the defender, right onto Pautov’s stick and set him up on a breakaway. Pautov made a slick move but fumbled the puck which ended up working in his favor when it beat the goalie 5 hole. His second goal came in the third period when he began to cut around the left side circle with a defender on his hip. He opened up into a heel to heel skate and made a slick body fake that his man bit on, then Ilya cut hard into the slot and fired a shot which slipped through the goalie’s arm. His edgework was on display all night as he was able to execute a number of mohawk turns and heel to heel work when circling the top of the zone. He used his skating effectively and was able to pick up speed and fly into space. His third goal came late in the third when he charged up ice to create a 2v1 for his teammate entering the OZ with possession. Pautov turned up to his highest gear on a b-line to the back post and tapped in his hat trick goal off a great feed. He was supremely confident all night long and was able to generate a ton of chances. He rushed the puck up ice with speed many times throughout the game and was able to gain entry, protect the puck with great hands and positioning, and scan for chances. He looked great tonight and if he can keep this confidence going for the rest of the year, he will give himself a great shot at being drafted.
Logo Courtesy of Krasnaya Armiya Moskva
Player Evaluations: Henry Lawrence