| Timofei Zhulin | Irbis Kazan | MHL | R | C | 5’11” | 168 | Pavlovo, RUS | 2005 | 2023-2024: C+ |
Game Grade: B
Comments: This was not the best showing of Zhulin, who I have become quite a big fan of this year. He just did not have that same level of pace and high energy play that he usually brings to every game. Despite a lower pace of play, he was still able to be a very effective player. He was a great transition player and had a ridiculous number of controlled zone entries. He drove the puck over the OZBL with his head up and immediately began scanning for open teammates. He was able to pick up a gorgeous assist in the second period on a 2v1. He drove the puck wide into the OZ and made a perfectly placed pass onto the tape of a teammate cutting to the slot before the defenseman had a chance to step up on him. His overall passing was a bit off tonight as he often missed his intended target but he was able to drive play towards the goal with thoughtful playmaking and quick passes in the OZ. His pressure applied defensively was not as great as it has been in the past but he was still able to force a couple of turnovers using well timed pokes and checks. This was not Zhulin’s best game but I am still happy with his performance and see it as proof that even on off nights he is still an effective and well rounded player. Stop sleeping on Zhulin.
| Malik Saberzyanov | Irbis Kazan | MHL | R | C | 5’9″ | 146 | Nizhnekamsk, RUS | 2006 | 2024-2025: B |
Game Grade: C+
Comments: Solid night for 2006 born Saberzyanov. He was able to score the opening goal of the game on a tip from the point. He cut into the slot at the perfect time to get a stick on the shot and screen the goalie from seeing its direction change. He showed good effort on the forecheck and was able to force a couple of turnovers due to his high pressure applied. He is very unlikely to get drafted but I think he is a well rounded player with potential to become a great MHL player in the upcoming seasons.
| Matvei Babenko | Tolpar Ufa | MHL | R | LW | 6’2″ | 194 | Ufa, RUS | 2005 | 2023-2024: C+ |
Game Grade: B-
Comments: Babenko did not have a great game by any means, but compared to the last game of his that I watched he took a major leap forward. I am starting to see the talent that he possesses and I think he has a lot of potential if he is willing to put in a lot of hard work with high level coaching. Babenko showed off an elite ability to beat opponents 1v1 on the rush. He attacked head on and was able to pull off some slick moves to walk straight around and through defenders. If he ran out of space he flipped the puck past them and powered his way to beat them in a race to the corner. His shot is a cannon and he fires it often. The only problem is he seldom hits the net and it usually ends up high over the net and off the glass. His skating is a bit awkward but he is able to generate a ton of speed without much effort. But that’s the problem. Over and over again during the course of my last two viewings, I wrote down that he put in no effort at all. He seems to go at half, sometimes even quarter speed, barely giving any effort at all. He coasts around the ice standing straight up with his stick in the air and only picks up the pace if the puck is on his stick which is still not much of an improvement. I am convinced by the ease with which he walked straight through defenders with skilled fakes that if he kicked up his motor to 75-80% he would score 5 goals a night in the MHL. He is incredibly skilled and his shot has NHL power. I genuinely believe that at full speed he would walk through full teams and score easy goals in tight, all night long. Another problem with his game is that he settles for horrible shots. He doesn’t put the effort in (or maybe doesn’t know how) to open up lanes for himself to shoot through. He winds up firing shots from super far out and very often into lanes where there is a man ready to block. If he was able to seek out good space and fire clean shots on goal, he would be able to score multiple goals a night. His accuracy needs to improve but he has a bullet wrist shot and should be able to beat goalies very easily. In my first viewing of him this season, I watched him show good effort on both the forecheck and backcheck, causing problems for the much older opponents in the KHL. I know he has the drive and brains to become a better player. The question is will he work hard enough to fulfill his potential? I think he is a bit of a risk to take in the draft but under the right coaching and if he actively chooses to put more effort into his game, I think Babenko could be a problem in the NHL and become a consistent 20-25 goal scorer at the pro level.
Player Evaluations: Henry Lawrence