| Timofei Zhulin | Irbis Kazan | MHL | R | C | 5’11” | 168 | Pavlovo, RUS | 2005 | 2023-2024: C+ |
Game Grade: B
Comments: Zhulin did not have his best game here tonight but had a solid overall performance. He used his speed to penetrate deep into the zone and was able to power his way to the net for a couple of chances. He spins away from pressure with tight turns and picks his head up to find open options. He pulled off a couple of clean drag moves to walk around opponents and snapped the puck around quickly when he had the opportunity. He had some trouble controlling the puck under pressure today. He often fumbled the puck in tight spots and definitely needs to learn to move the puck quicker. He picked up an assist on the lone Irbis goal today when he fired a shot on cage during the powerplay that was finished on a rebound tap in. I like how Zhulin uses his speed on the forecheck to quickly take away breathing room from opponents but he lacks that extra bit of effort required to force turnovers. He often peels away or slows up too early allowing for the opponent to move the puck before he gets there. I have been a fan of Zhulin all year but I am starting to feel like consistency is a major issue. Some games he handles the puck like a star, escaping pressure with skilled moves and firing perfect seam passes to set up dangerous chances. But there are other games (like tonight) where he isn’t fully there and didn’t really create much of anything. I’ll check back up on him in a few weeks to see if there is any improvement.
| Kirill Kutuzov | Irbis Kazan | MHL | L | RW | 6’0″ | 163 | Kostroma, RUS | 2006 | 2024-2025: B |
Game Grade: C+
Comments: This was my first time seeing Kutuzov in a while and he did not have as impressive of a game tonight. He is incredibly skilled for his age and will very likely be a superstar in the next few years but he has a lot to work on. He gets far too complex 1v1 with defenders and often coughs up the puck instead of keeping it simple. His pass decisions were very poor tonight. He often threw spinning or no look passes that missed their target by miles and he had a ridiculous number of turnovers in this game. A trait that usually stands out in Kirill’s game is his shooting. Tonight he opted for terrible shots from super far out that were often easily blocked by opponents who were already standing in the lane he was trying to force the puck through. He also needs to pick his energy level up much higher. He is often just coasting around and unable to impact the game without the puck. Not his best performance but I am still confident that with time, he will become one of the best players in the MHL and a high NHL draft pick.
| Alexander Shen | Khanty Mansiysk | MHL | R | LW | 6’0″ | 191 | Nizhnevartovsk, RUS | 2006 | 2023-2024: B- |
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Shen has been super inconsistent this year. Some games he brings full energy and is able to create tons of plays on both ends of the ice and other times he is nearly invisible. Today he was the former and was a huge energy player for Yugry. On the forecheck he harassed opponents by taking great angles to the puck and forcing errors with pokes and checks. He pushed hard to win races and often came away victorious, quickly turning play towards the OZ with his head up, scanning for options. He played a great PK game and was able to shut down every chance he was up against with responsible positioning and well timed attacks towards the puck. Offensively he had a great game as well. He worked the cycle by making well timed cuts and passes to keep play moving in the OZ. He had a great rush where he picked up a ton of speed and attempted to turn the defender by pushing wide. His skating form looked pretty poor with a short and weak extension but, he was able to fly up ice so if he can get some work in with a skating coach he could improve his game in all areas. Another situation where he carried play up ice, he pushed towards the goal with the puck and made a spinning pass right on the tape of his teammate for a high danger look on goal. Shen is not the perfect player by any means. He needs to fix his streaky, consistency issues and keep that motor going every game. He has the potential to be a great B6 forward if he focuses on that side and will bring some offensive playmaking to the table as well.
Logo Courtesy of Irbis Kazan
Player Evaluations: Henry Lawrence