Yaroslav Yapparov

Ian Moran’s Thoughts: Yapparov is a long lanky left shot forward who plays primarily right wing. He has a bit of an upright skating posture which makes him look bigger than his listed 6’2″ and there are certain times when he looks a bit stiff legged, but he overall shows the type of athleticism that will lead to him being drafted. He handles poor passes well, especially passes into his feet. On more than one occasion I’ve seen him kick up a puck up from his feet to his stick as he’s skating full speed past a defender and he can so with a little bit of wiggle. Although as the puck carrier Yapparov has the ability to change pace and hold off the opposing defender with one hand as he drives wide, I feel he’s at his best when he attacks the blueline between the dots and then passes wide so he can use his speed and reach to cause fits for the opposing defenders. He has a very quick wide dribble and can move the puck quickly from forehand o backhand before roofing it. I also really like that he plays with emotion and is not afraid to celebrate after a goal.