MHL action where the visiting team, Yaroslavl Loko, won 2-0. Neutral Zone focused on Yaroslavl’s 2024 NHL draft first year draft eligible players.
| Sergei Kudinov | Loko Yaroslavl MHL | MHL | L | RW | 6’0″ | 201 | Volzhsky, RUS | 2006 | 2023-2024: C |
Game Grade: C+
Comments: Kudinov is a thickly built left shot forward who played both left and right wing. He has a powerful frame with and inside edge skating base that makes him sway side to side as he gains speed. When he played his on-side left wing we noticed that he tended to over complicate things in defensive zone after he received a breakout pass which led to extended defensive zone play. He did show a soft first touch and the ability to make firm flat pass but toe dragging in the grey area is tough thing to overlook. Kudinov played forth line 5 on 5 minutes but he was used as a valuable penalty killer who finished second among Loko’s forwards in shorthanded time on ice. While penalty killing he played with detailed stick placement and stopped on every puck. At this point Kudinov has a ‘C’ Neutral Zone 2024 NHL Draft grade.
| Daniil Brusnikin | Loko Yaroslavl MHL | MHL | L | D | 5’9″ | 163 | Yaroslavl, RUS | 2006 |
Game Grade: B
Comments: Brusnikin is an undersized smooth skating left shot defender who played primarily the right side but had no difficulty playing the left side when needed. He showed an athletic shoulder width skating base and at times seemed to be floating on the ice as used his inside edge to explode out of pivots and hard stops. During 5 on 5 play he was very active in the offensive zone looking to scissor down the wall when his forwards had clear possession and when the puck was wrapped Brusnikin was looking to pinch down the wall to beat his opposing wing to the puck. On the night he finished third among Loko defensemen with 17:50 total time on ice including a mop up 0:35 TOI while on the power play and fifth among team defenders with 3:13 TOI while on the penalty kill. While killing penalties his skating and puck anticipation were real assets as he quickly recognized and attacked poor passes to an opponent’s backhand, bobbled bouncing pucks along the walls and when an opponent had his back to the play. He finished +1 on the night on a goal that originated in the defensive zone while Loko was shorthanded. On the play he attacked an opponent who bobbled a pass and popped his stick to steal the puck which generated a clean breakout. He did not earn an assist on the play but without his game recognition the goal never happens. On the night he finished with +1 with zero points, 1 shot, 3 hits and he received 2 hard hits which is something that always concerns us with undersized defensemen. He also had 2 point shots blocked with the first coming in an extended stick from a hard charging winger and the second coming while his head was down and he just cranked the puck into the shinpads so this is something that should be watched for in the future. As an underager he does not have a Neutral Zone draft grade yet.
| Vadim Dudorov | Loko Yaroslavl MHL | MHL | L | C | 5’11” | 165 | Sarov, RUS | 2006 | 2023-2024: C |
Game Grade: B-
Comments: Coming in at 6’0′, 190lbs Dudorov is a slightly below average height thickly built left shot forward who played right wing. He showed a deep kneed hunched over skating posture with a shoulder width skating base and strides that used his hip-knee-ankle joints for power. He played forth line 5 on 5 minutes but was a key member of the second power play unit where he earned 3:37 in power play ice time. Once in the offensive zone he was positioned in either dot-lane as the primary shooting option who had the freedom to find open ice in the slot whenever the puck was moved to the extended goal line. He finished the game even with 0 points but he did have a game high 6 shots on goal and 2 grade ‘A’ scoring opportunities but he also had 2 additional shots blocked. While we like his compete around the net and willingness to fire rockets that generate secondary scoring opportunities Dudorov currently has a ‘C+’ 2024 Neutral Zone draft grade as we feel he needs to continue working on his explosiveness and overall footspeed.
| Yegor Surin | Lokomotiv Yaroslavl | KHL | L | C | 6’1″ | 176 | Voronezh, RUS | 2006 | 2023-2024: B- |
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Surin is a long limbed left shot forward who played primarily right wing but he did also go 6/9 on face-offs. He showed a long powerful stride and the ability to accelerate into passes with a soft touch that allowed him to back the opposing defenders off the their defensive blueline. On the forecheck he used his speed and anticipation to be an aggressive F1 that caused poor decisions and turnovers. We liked how he did not follow the opposing defenseman’s pass instead choosing to take his full three seconds to finish his checks. Among Loko forwards Surin earned a game high 19:03 of total time on ice including 5:02 on the power play and 3:33 while shorthanded. He was a slingshot option on the power play breakout and once they were set up in zone he moved to his off-wing’ right dot-lane to be a shooter. As a penalty killer he used his quickness and four way agility to play in straight lines and use an active stick to disrupt royal road passing lanes. He finished the night even with 0 points but he did have two shots on net with the first coming when he recognized flat footed defenders at their defensive blueline and he changed his route to cut through the middle for a partial breakaway. On the paly he showed real speed and very quick processing brain. The second shot came during 4 on 4 play with approximately 3:25 remaining in the first period. On the play he came down the left side to receive a dot-lane to dot-lane pass high in the offensive zone. He then made one stickhandle to make the defender think he was going to immediately rip a snapper which made the defender stand upright with his shinpads together. Surin then did a subtle curl and drag to change shooting angles and fired a 12′ snap shot to the low glove side that bounced out of the goalie’s glove. It was clean simple catch and release snapper that NHLers make during just about every shot on net. Surin currently has a ‘B-‘ Neutral Zone 2024 NHL draft grade but there is a lot to like about his game and progress
| Artyom Krikunenko | Loko Yaroslavl MHL | MHL | L | C | 5’9″ | 174 | Vitebsk, BLR | 2005 | Not yet rated |
Game Grade: C
Comments: Krikunenko is an undersized left shot forward who played both center and wing. He showed quick feet and had a bounce in his step. He totaled 6:27 of even strength ice time, went 4/4 on face-offs and finished the game even with zero points. At this time we do not view Krikunenko as a potential 2024 NHL Draft pick.
Logo Courtesy of Yaroslavl Loko