Alexander Shen | Khanty Mansiysk | MHL | R | LW | 6’0″ | 191 | Nizhnevartovsk, RUS | 2006 | 2023-2024: B- |
Game Grade: C+
Comments: In past viewings we have been a fan of Shen but he seems to have slowed down a bit. Shen was still able to show off the top notch forechecking pressure that caused me to rate him highly earlier this year. We love the harassing pressure he applies and he forces opponents to cough up the puck with smart angles and poke attempts. What he lacks now is the motor we saw earlier this year. He moves at a much slower pace than we remember and we think it really holds his game back. He would be able to force so many more turnovers if he was traveling at a higher rate of speed. He often is moving too slowly to affect the opponent and is easily beaten with a quick cut into space. His offensive ability seems to have disappeared as well. We know he has scored a few times recently but in our last two viewings he was unable to generate much of anything and really did not have the puck on his stick at all. If Shen can pick up his foot speed and find the offensive game we noted in our first two viewings of him this season, he will be able to affect the game at a much higher level.
| Artur Faizov | Mamonty Yugry | MHL | L | C | 6’1″ | 183 | Sterlitamak, RUS | 2006 | 2023-2024: B |
Game Grade: B
Comments: Faizov was flying today. He has an incredibly high motor and buzzed all over every inch of the ice, hunting for possession. He wanted the puck on his stick at all times and was willing to put in the work to earn control for his team. He had a harassing forecheck effort all night, applying tight pressure and taking away all of the breathing room from his opponents. He forced tons of turnovers and was able to quickly move the puck into dangerous spots. His transition work was just as impressive. He carried the puck up ice with high end speed and beat defenders with quick stick handles and skilled cuts. With possession in the offensive zone, he circled above the dots with tight edgework and searched for teammates. He was able to set up many plays with his passing but not consistently. His passes missed their targets at times and we noticed him throw the puck into space that was only occupied by opponents. Faizov was a beast tonight and it was hard to keep your eyes off of him. He had the puck on his stick for a considerable percentage of his time on ice. Neutral Zone will attempt to keep a close eye on him in our future viewings to give him a more accurate evaluation in our current rankings.
| Andrei Korzin | Omskie Yastreby | MHL | R | C | 6’4″ | 207 | St. Petersburg, RUS | 2005 | 2023-2024: C+ |
Game Grade: C+
Comments: Korzin is a big body with a very mobile game. He is a very smooth and powerful skater that allows him to cover huge distances in little time. He activated deep into the offensive zone multiple times. He did so at opportune moments, waiting for his teammate to circle towards the blue line, then cut down to become an option low. Defensively he showed flaws. He over committed and was drawn out of position very easily. When in corner battles, he was easily beaten with a quick move and lacked the agility or speed to get back into position fast enough to stop chances from occurring. His size and skating ability is impressive but not enough right now to be considered a top prospect.
| Danila Sysoyev | Omskie Yastreby | MHL | R | LW | 5’10” | 179 | Achinsk, RUS | 2006 | 2023-2024: B |
Game Grade: C+
Comments: In previous viewings, Neutral Zone has had very high praise for Sysoyev due to his skilled hands and ability to execute tough plays that directly lead to scoring chances. Recently however, we have not been as impressed. His decision making with the puck was just off tonight. Nearly every time he possessed the puck with time and space, he attempted to rush directly at an opponent (sometimes multiple) and tried to pull off a complex dangle through/around them. He chose the more difficult play every time and was easily shut down with a quick poke or step up leading to a turnover. Don’t get us wrong, Sysoyev has the skill to pull off many of these moves and has been successful in doing so in the past. The problem is that he attempts them on nearly every rush and does not always time them well with defensive movement. If he simplified his game he would have much more success in transition. When he did not have the open space to carry the puck, he rushed many of his pass attempts that missed targets, sometimes not even targeting a teammate. One play in particular that sticks out in our mind was early in the first. He stole a puck in the defensive zone after making a great read; however, instead of settling it down and finding one of the many teammates open around him, he spun around and lifted the puck the whole length of the ice for no reason at all. This wasted a great opportunity to catch Yugry deep in the Omsk zone and torch them. Danila also needs to work on his discipline. He took a retaliatory penalty in the second that was easily avoidable. We have seen him take multiple penalties like this during the season and we would have hoped it would be out of his game by now. This game wasn’t all bad though. He was able to make a couple of well timed passes in the neutral zone to keep play moving and he protected the puck well many times with his body. Danila also showed a few moments of calm and deliberate control of the puck. He evaded opponents and worked the puck to teammates along the borders of the zone. Sysoyev has a lot to work on if he wants to be drafted this season. We think in time he will become a solid depth professional player but our belief in his ability to enter the NHL at some point in his career is fading.
Logo Courtesy of Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk