| Arsen Taymazov Taimazov | MHK Dynamo Moskva | MHL | R | D | 6’4″ | 192 | Vladikavkaz, RUS | 2006 | 2023-2024: B- |
Game Grade: A
Comments: Another fantastic performance by Taimazov as he continues to show that he might be the best draft eligible defenseman in Russia. He is so responsible defensively and gives it his all every shift. He makes constant scans of the defensive zone to make sure he knows where all opponents are and then covers the biggest threat, making sure to jump on passes and close off sticks in front of the net. He doesn’t get drawn out of position and is able to pick great spots to jump on opponents to shut down play. He maintains a great gap in transition and his body positioning as well as great skating ability allow him to keep opponents from cutting inside. He steps up at the smartest times with a quick poke directly on the stick, then jumps on the loose puck and quickly moves it up ice. There were a few times in this game where he over committed a bit early but he always turned on the jets to ensure that he made it back to help stop the play. I also really liked how responsible he was on the OZ blue line. If he saw his partner step up or he noticed a vulnerable play that would likely lead to a turnover, he started skating back to preemptively shut down the opponents rush. He makes great reads, sees plays before they fully develop, and gets into position to shut them down. Offensively he had a solid night as well. His skating is very good for his size. He is incredibly agile and uses this ability to make quick stops, fakes, and turns away from pressure and to take advantage of lanes. He is a great breakout passer who uses constant scans with the puck to get a full picture of the ice ahead of him. He selects his target and moves into the best space to move the puck. Once he is there, he fires a hard and crisp pass directly to his teammate sticks in stride and he is able to do so consistently, game after game. I also love his use of the boards to complete passes and move the puck away from opponents. There were one or two times in this game where he got a bit impatient at the end of a shift and threw the puck away but a majority of his passes were well planned and thoughtful. Arsen is a fantastic two way defender and I think he might deserve first round recognition. He is an incredibly smart, mobile, strong, and responsible defender that every team should be drooling over.
| Ivan Ryabkin | MHK Dynamo Moskva | MHL | L | C | 6’0″ | 170 | Balakovo, RUS | 2007 | 2024-2025: A |
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Ryabkin plays so well that he makes it very easy to forget that he is only 16 years old. He is an incredibly skilled player with gifted puck handling ability. He executes tough moves around defenders with an absurd number of quick stick handles in tight spaces. He possesses the puck well and is able to escape from pressure. He is a great playmaker and there were multiple times in this game where he set up quality chances on the rush or in the OZ with thoughtful moves to open lanes and slide his teammates the puck. He could have easily had 3 assists in this game but his teammates were not able to capitalize. He is still young and shows some bad habits such as rushed/lazy decision making when he runs out of space. He often threw the puck away or fired low quality shots into clogged lanes. He has the skill to get out of these situations; he just needs to grow more confident in tight spots. He showed off some confidence on the rush and was able to enter the zone with possession a few times but needs to do so more consistently. Ryabkin has a ton of great tools already in his arsenal and is lucky enough to have a ton of time to continue to develop. He will be a star very and likely high draft pick very soon.
Logo Courtesy of Dynamo Moskva
Player Evaluations: Henry Lawrence