| Daniil Bobin | Krasnoyarskie Rysi | MHL | L | RW | 5’10” | 172 | Barnaul, RUS | 2006 | Not yet rated |
Game Grade: C
Comments: This was my second time watching Bobin and I probably would have never looked at him if he had not been mentioned in the NHL Central Scouting list from last month. To be honest, I don’t see anything there. There have been times where he picks up speed and is able to show off his skill but 90% of the time he skates himself directly into traffic and turns the puck over. He moves up ice with confidence but was unable to generate anything from it. His footspeed most of the time is too slow and he is also quite undersized which are both things that I feel will hold him back. Not worth a look in my opinion.
| Andrei Krutov | Chaika Nizhny Novgorod | MHL | L | RW | 5’10” | 174 | Togliatti. RUS | 2006 | 2023-2024: B- |
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Draft eligible Krutov had a great night finishing with 1G 2A. He is a very skilled player with quick hands and is great at sneaking into open space to generate scoring chances for his team. He is a pass first player and is able to create chances by opening lanes with his skating and slip pucks to the open man. He has good vision and is able to find cutting teammates with well timed passes without selling his choice. There were some times, especially on the powerplay, where he tried to force passes through very congested parts of the ice which showed a lack of patience and true vision of the full zone. One of my favorite plays from Andrei was early in the first when he moved up ice on the rush looking for a pass from his teammate. As the puck came toward him, he started a fake around the defender which opened a lane for him to skate through as the puck came to his stick. This was a very smart and manipulative play I do not see many players able to execute. His goal came in the first period on a powerplay where he snuck into the slot while the defenders were focused on the puck. Then when the pass came to him, he redirected it towards the goal which beat the tender. His first assist came from a battle behind the net. He dug the puck out and battled for space while coming up the boards. He hit the point man with a pass which he fired on goal and slipped in. His second assist came on a power play in the third period where he made a pass off the faceoff to an open teammate in the slot who finished with a top shelf snipe. He finds open teammates well and shows the ability to create dangerous scoring chances through his passing. The main problem I have with Krutov’s game right now is his foot speed. He often stops moving his feet and shimmy’s around the ice which really hurts his ability to get around defenders. He is just too slow to play at a higher level right now. I like his ability to get involved in battles but he doesn’t show that dog mentality in the sense that he can give up a bit early and does not do whatever it takes to win the puck. I am a big fan of Krutov and think he might be worth a look at the end of the draft board. He has a lot to work on but his quick hands and playmaking ability set him apart from a lot of similar players in the MHL.
| Ivan Chesnokov | Chaika Nizhny Novgorod | MHL | R | D | 6’2″ | 183 | Togliatti. RUS | 2006 | Not yet rated |
Game Grade: C+
Comments: Chesnokov is a 6’2 smooth skating defenseman. His footwork is impressive and he is incredibly mobile when moving with the puck. He was able to escape pressure a few times with little effort and was able to move the puck up ice to keep play going. He shut down plays behind the net with his body and well timed pokes. I didn’t get too much on him tonight but will definitely keep an eye on his progression
| Lev Salnikov | Chaika Nizhny Novgorod | MHL | L | C | 6’6″ | 214 | Nizhny Novgorod, RUS | 2005 | 2023-2024: B- |
Game Grade: B-
Comments: Another good performance from Salnikov. He is nowhere near draft ready in a lot of areas but he has some good traits that I think could propel him into a KHL career someday. He works really hard in board battles. He joins every time he can and never gives up on the play. He is a dog and makes 3rd and 4th attempts at the puck if he doesn’t win it right away. He uses his body well and showed some great physicality throughout the night. He finished checks hard and was a pain to go up against. Lev’s skating is a real problem. He stands straight up and his leg extension is very short, generating little to no power. He is unable to fully keep up with this level of play and it shows. He shows flashes of skill every once in a while but the pace is really holding him back. Skating needs to be the main focus of his training over the next year or so if he ever wants to have a pro career. He works hard every time he’s on the ice and that warrior mentality might be enough to move up in the hockey world.
Scout: Henry Lawrence