| Timur Kol | Omskie Yastreby | MHL | L | D | 6’3″ | 188 | Moskva, RUS | 2006 | 2023-2024: C+ |
Game Grade: B-
Comments: After watching Kol in this game, I think he is a better player than I give him credit for but he is still very rough around the edges. Kol is a smooth skating defenseman. He uses his edges well to move into space and has the ability to escape pressure as well as transition the puck while taking advantage of the whole ice. He can be a bit stiff at times when handling the puck but moves better than most rush defensemen in this Russian class. Backwards skating is a whole other conversation. He cannot generate enough speed backwards to keep up with/stay ahead of play at this level which is very concerning. He has to pivot far too early and is very easily walked around in defensive transition. He is going to need a lot of work on the defensive end as well. He is very reactionary and does not seem prepared or aware of plays that opponents are about to make and waits to make a play until the puck is at his feet. He stands still in front of the net and is unable to react quick enough to stop passes or block shots. There were multiple times where he didn’t even seem to know where the puck was until it hit him. He also chases the puck way too far out of position. There were many times where I took note of him following the puck all the way to the top of the circles and there was even one time where he ended up all the way at the point. There were far too many times where he had to rush to get back and ended up giving up bad chances in spots where he should have been. Timur was given some time on the second penalty kill unit which surprised me a bit. He held his own for the first half of the kill but he made one of the strangest defensive decisions I have ever seen. There was a man with the puck inside of the right circle, stickhandling while scanning for options. Kol was standing directly in front of him, blocking the shot option. Then out of nowhere, Kol cuts to the slot and glues himself to a forward that was already covered, which opens up a wide open lane for the puck carrier to fire a dangerous shot head on with the goalie. There was no reason for Kol to switch there and he gave up a great chance that he was lucky did not go in. Another thing that really frustrated me was his poor pinch attempts which he tried nearly every time there was an opportunity to. He jumped up to try to hold play in the offensive zone after it was too late or sometimes far too early which allowed for easy breakouts by the opponents who were able to pass past him or fly past him by cutting to the middle. Kol’s decision making was much better than I have seen in the past. There were times where he threw the puck away without looking but a majority of his passes were thoughtful and well placed. He was reasonably calm under pressure and able to execute smart breakout decisions. He moved the puck quickly and was able to start the breakout under pressure. There was one great play where a forechecker was coming towards him behind the net. He pulled off a quick deke which changed his positioning to open up a new lane then fired a crisp pass to a teammate cutting out of the zone. He is a better puck mover than I previously gave him credit for. Kol has improved a lot this year but still lacks a lot of the decision making tools, true mobility/speed, and strength to keep up at the VHL level. He has not done enough to impress me this year but I would not be surprised if he gets selected in a later round but I would not draft him based on my viewings so far.
Scout: Henry Lawrence