| Vladimir Kuznetsov | Loko Yaroslavl MHL | MHL | L | C | 5’9″ | 163 | Yaroslavl, RUS | 2006 | 2023-2024: C |
Game Grade: B-
Comments: Kuznetsov is a highly skilled two way forward that plays with a ton of speed and some edge. He has incredibly quick and soft hands which he used to attack defenders head on with a couple of quick stick handles and was able to beat them on multiple occasions. He handled difficult passes with ease and was able to dish a couple of his own while heavily contested. He joins battles with intention and fights hard to win possession for his team. I didn’t get a great look at Kuznetsov tonight but the moments I did see were very impressive and I will take another look at him very soon.
| Mikhail Akhmetshin | Loko Yaroslavl MHL | MHL | L | C | 5’8″ | 151 | Izhevsk, RUS | 2006 | Not yet rated |
Game Grade: C+
Comments: Akhmetshin is an undersized but highly skilled offensive playmaker. He plays at a very high pace and was able to execute some skilled moves to work his way into the offensive zone. He is incredibly confident with the puck on his stick and made multiple controlled zone entries. He gets time on the first penalty kill unit and was a very effective defender, dumping the puck the length of the ice and holding in the opponent’s zone with a diligent forecheck. He executed a skilled drag and release in the second period to change the angle of his shot and hit the net with a powerful wrister from deep. Mikhail is a very skilled and speedy forward, but his size will hold him back from playing professional hockey.
| Maxim Manuilov | Loko Yaroslavl MHL | MHL | L | D | 5’9″ | 170 | Voronezh, RUS | 2007 | 2024-2025: C |
Game Grade: C+
Comments: 2007 born Manuilov is a very talented skater and showed potential to become a skilled and mobile defenseman. He showed great patience while possessing the puck under pressure and used his agile footwork to escape into space and find teammates with a quick pass. He has skilled hands and was able to execute some great passes on the breakout to move puck up ice quickly. Manuilov did not get many minutes tonight as this was only his 13th game in the MHL. He is only 16 years old and will have plenty of time to develop into a solid two-way player. He only stands at 5’9 170lbs right now so he might have a hard time making it past junior without a growth spurt. A name to check back in on next season.
| Roman Shokhrin | Loko Yaroslavl MHL | MHL | L | D | 6’4″ | 192 | Nizhny Novgorod, RUS | 2006 | 2023-2024: B- |
Game Grade: B
Comments: Solid performance from Shokhrin. The 6 ‘4 defender is a mobile two way with a smooth stride and great edgework which he uses to escape pressure and work his way into open space. He moves very quickly up ice and activates deep into the zone to help create options. His defensive play was much better during tonight’s game than it typically is. He cleared the net front well and stayed positionally sound. He made good reads of the defensive zone and made smart choices to attack and help shut down play. He made one great read in defensive transition to step up in the neutral zone and slow down play enough for his teammate to steal the puck. He used his footwork to execute effective surfs in the neutral zone to push opponents towards the boards. His passing was not as impressive tonight. He made far too many attempts without picking his head up and forced unnecessary turnovers. He also forced some stretch passes towards teammates that were blanketed in the neutral zone which resulted in turnovers and icings. He will need to add a ton of strength to compete at the next level and will also need to complete more active scans when passing. His defensive improvements have been very noticeable and help resolve my doubts about his two-way game. I think Roman projects as a late 2nd round/third round pick and has the potential to be a solid second pairing defenseman that can defend well and help in transition.
| Dmitri Yakutsenak | Loko Yaroslavl MHL | MHL | L | C | 6’0″ | 187 | Yaroslavl, RUS | 2007 | 2024-2025: A- |
Game Grade: B-
Comments: 2007 born Yakutsenak is only 16 years old but proved to be one of the best players on his team. He plays the game at a very high pace and showed off some very quick hands to beat opponents 1v1 on the rush. He joined battles and showed off great effort on the forecheck. He has agile feet and was able to use his edgework to change angles and execute dangerous passes at top speed. He did make a couple of poor pass choices where he fired passes without looking and forced a couple of unnecessary turnovers. Will take some time to fully develop his skills and grow into his frame but he has a good tool kit that should allow him to become one of the top Russian prospects for next season.
| Mikhail Podyukov | Avto Yekaterinburg | MHL | L | C | 5’8″ | 157 | Asbet, RUS | 2006 | Not yet rated |
Game Grade: C
Comments: Podyukov is a smooth skating forward with a powerful stride. He showed off the ability to delay upon entry to find teammates with a pass when his lane was taken away. He showed off a good playmaking ability and hit teammates in stride with head man passes to set up plays in transition. He rushed the puck with confidence but needs to improve his pace to effect play at this level let alone better competition.
| Maxim Tarasov | Avto Yekaterinburg | MHL | L | C | 6’3″ | 181 | Yekaterinburg, RUS | 2006 | 2023-2024: C+ |
Game Grade: B-
Comments: Tarasov is a 6’3 power forward with a powerful stride. He skates with a wide style but still generates a ton of speed with his powerful lower body. He joins battles hard and plays a physical style along the boards to help win pucks for his team. He forechecks and backchecks very hard and was able to shut down entire rush chances by himself. He made quick, smart passes in all three zones to keep play moving towards the net. He is good in the faceoff circle, winning a majority of his attempts. The size, speed, physicality, and effort combo are definitely worth a look in one of the later rounds.
Scout: Henry Lawrence