| Matvei Shuravin | Krasnaya Armiya Moskva | International | L | D | 6’3″ | 195 | Moscow, RUS | 2006 | 2023-2024: B+ |
Game Grade: B-
Comments: Shuravin had a decent performance in this game but left Neutral Zone wanting a lot more. His game started off hot with a primary assist on the opening goal of the game which came on a penalty kill. Matvei charged up ice with the puck on his stick and created a 2v1 chance. When the defenseman eventually attempted to step up on him along the board, he changed his stick positioning and wired a pass onto the stick of a teammate cutting to the net for an easy finish. Matvei showed off great playmaking on this play that he was able to replicate a few more times throughout the night. There were multiple times where he faked shots at the point and fired passes to open teammates back door and he set up a couple of quality chances with his playmaking. On one play in particular he circled the top of the zone using heel to heel skating very effectively to propel himself into space. He then turned and fired a pass back door, keeping his head facing the goal to ensure that he did not telegraph his choice. This was not a consistent note though. There were just as many times where he threw the puck towards smothered teammates and did not put much care or zip into his passes. His decision making was just off at times where he threw the puck away without looking, shot it out of play, and missed many of his targets due to poor placement. He does not control the puck as well as many of the other top defenseman we have seen so far. He fumbles the puck and is not very successful in his attempts to escape pressure. He was often easily shut down and caused a lot of turnovers in this game. Defensively he had an active stick and was able to shut down plays using good positioning and timing on his reads. He is a responsible defender and doesn’t stray too far from the game plan. One problem we had with him in this zone was his physical play. He attempted checks with very little effort or power behind them and allowed multiple skaters to walk past him along the boards due to his inconsistent effort. There were times where he just kind of sat back and left us wondering how he has been projected in the first round. He is better than a majority of the other defenseman that we have seen this season but he needs to improve before I would feel comfortable drafting him higher than the second round. He has a lot of good attributes and has great size to go along with them but there is no doubt that he is a project.
| Alexei Dontsov | Krasnaya Armiya Moskva | MHL | L | C | 5’9″ | 176 | Moscow, RUS | 2006 | 2023-2024: B |
Game Grade: C
Comments: Dontsov has done enough for us to move him up in our 2024 draft grading but we are still looking for more. His speed is the main thing going for him right now but he is unable to use it very effectively. He flies up the ice with the puck but is lacking awareness as he consistently skates directly into defenders coughing up the puck. He has very quick hands and can pull off some impressive moves but gets too fancy with too little space and makes it easy for opponents to shut him down in transition. His pass decisions are poor as well. He often tries to force the puck through crowded areas and does not choose the best option very often. Dontsov has a lot of skill, speed, and good point totals but so far from what we have seen this season he is still developing his overall game awareness.
| Igor Chernyshov | MHK Dynamo Moskva | MHL | R | LW | 6’1″ | 189 | Penza, RUS | 2005 | 2023-2024: A- |
Game Grade: A-
Comments: Chernyshov is a lightning bolt that charges up the ice every time he gets the puck on his stick. He is fantastic in transition, accelerating to top speed in the blink of an eye then powering past defensemen on route to the net. After entering the offensive zone wide, he begins to cut in towards the middle lane with the puck. He puts his butt into defenders and holds the puck far from their reach to protect the puck on his way to the cage. He has been able to earn himself multiple chances from inside the slot every game we have seen and tonight was no different. He needs to work on his finishing in tight but if he keeps on creating dangerous chances like that, the goals will start pouring in. Igor was able to pick up one goal in this game after intercepting a pass at the offensive blueline. He jumped towards the cage and attempted to hit his teammate with a pass. It was deflected but he crashed the net and buried his own chance. He often stops up on the rush if he sees he is unable to win with speed and either fires a hard wrister on goal using the defenseman as a screen, or drops the puck back to a teammate joining the rush late. One big problem we see with his game right now is his lack of high end puck handling ability. He isn’t really able to pull off some of the elite moves that most first rounders should be able to complete. Right now he seems to be a straight line attacker with good control but relies on his speed to beat defenders. Besides the odd stop up on the rush, he is not very adaptable to changes in defense. If he is unable to win with speed he needs to develop the hands to manipulate defenders into biting on his fake and then escape the defensive choice with a quick stick handle. Against bigger, stronger, and smarter defenders, his speed is not going to always work and he needs to learn other ways of getting to the net. Without the puck he had a solid game as well. He jumped on loose pucks and was able to win a number of races to the corner. He forechecked and finished checks hard into the glass. Neutral Zone definitely needs to see more of him at both the MHL and KHL levels but we are pleased with his development so far this year. He has a lot of work to do to reach his full potential but the base of speed and smarts will be a great stepping stone to take his game to the next level.
| Arsen Taymazov Taimazov | MHK Dynamo Moskva | MHL | R | D | 6’4″ | 192 | Vladikavkaz, RUS | 2006 | 2023-2024: B- |
Game Grade: A
Comments: Taimazov had a fantastic game in this one. His defensive play was incredible; He was able to shut down play with great body positioning and by using his long reach to swipe pucks away at the perfect time. For such a big kid, his agility is very good. He uses his skating very well in the defensive zone to stay in front of opponents with the puck. He left no chance for anyone to walk past him because he angled opponents towards the boards with his body and successfully poked the puck off of their sticks every time they got in range. His rush defense was near perfect as he did not allow anyone around him and surfed towards the boards, shutting down plays stick first and finishing with solid checks before the Armiya forwards had a second to think about their next option. He was very aggressive with his poke checks and made it nearly impossible to skate within his vicinity. He also made sure to get his stick into shooting lanes and was able to stop many scoring chances before they had enough time to materialize. Behind the net he battled hard and rode players into the boards before swiping the puck from them. In front of the net Arsen is no pushover. He clears the crease with powerful shoves and is not afraid to get involved in scrums. He is a forward’s worst nightmare, a pest in the defensive zone who works incredibly hard to shut down the opposing offense. He played well with the puck on his stick in this game as well. He made agile stops and starts to escape forechecking pressure and made quick crisp passes up ice to keep play moving. He walks the line reasonably well and is able to change his angle with footwork to open up shot lanes and pass opportunities. He passes with intention in the offensive zone and tries to set up teammates cross ice for one time chances. He may not hit his target every time but the thought is there and he sees the ice well. We would not classify him as an offensive defenseman but he has enough skill and brains to provide consistent help with the puck on his stick. This was an incredibly good game for Arsen, we even considered putting him in the first tier due to his defensive play. We really like the way he plays the game. He is a high energy shut down defender who puts in a lot of thought and is careful in his decision making. We think he has the potential to be a defensive monster in the NHL and will likely be a second round pick in the draft. Arsen is an animal and will be a fan favorite, shut down defenseman for whichever lucky team drafts him next June.
Logo Courtesy of MHK Dynamo Moskva