Red Wings 2nd Round Draft Profiles – Part 1: The Russians
By Alex Drain
4 years agoWe are now less than 1 month away from the 2019 NHL Draft, where the Red Wings hold four picks in the top 60 and while most of the attention is being given to the #6 overall selection (and deservedly so), the three second round picks that Detroit holds, #35, #54, and #60, are crucial opportunities to add talent.
In just the last few seasons, the Red Wings have added key pieces to their young crop of players through the second round with such picks as Tyler Bertuzzi (2013), Filip Hronek (2016), and Jared McIsaac (2018). The second round selections are also much more wide open than the first round pick and thus, instead of doing more focused profiles, I’m going to do a series of articles where I give short descriptions on each particular player who could be picked by the Wings. Of course, they could end up not picking anyone I profile with any of their three picks because that’s how wide open the 2nd round of the draft is, and that’s okay!
Still, I thought it would be useful to prep Red Wings world with some potential names that could be called on day 2 of the draft. One final note before we begin: I am not a scout. In profiling these prospects, I’m not giving my opinion on these players because 1.) I have not watched many of these players and 2.) even with the ones that I have, I’m not qualified enough of a talent evaluator to give a respectable opinion. Instead, I’m aggregating what other, real scouts have said about each of these players to give a down-and-dirty summary of each name I focus on. Without further ado, let’s dive into our first set of summaries. This group is focused on Russian talent, as Steve Yzerman has had a tendency to select Russian players over his time as a GM in Tampa.
Pavel Dorofeyev, LW/RW, Magnitogorsk (MHL/KHL)
Dorofeyev is generally ranked in the late first round range, but some have him as high as the teens, which makes his draft ranking not unlike Jonatan Berggren’s last year, and there is an outside chance that this Russian could fall to the Wings at #35.
Dorofeyev, who appears to be a stock photo of a Russian 10 year-old, is old for this draft class (October 2000) and has had an excellent season in Russia, lighting up the MHL and earning a promotion to the KHL. Most all scouts talk about his excellent playmaking ability, vision, and puck skills, though there is some disagreement between Scott Wheeler and Corey Pronman, both of The Athletic ($), about whether Dorofeyev possesses dynamic offensive ability. He’s a creative forward and scouts seem to believe he has an okay shot and mediocre skating, and the latter could improve, as could his physical play, with Pronman specifically mentioning his consistency as an issue. The name that comes up repeatedly in his scouting reports is a comparison to Filip Forsberg. In all likelihood, Dorofeyev will likely be gone by the time the Wings pick, but if he tumbles into the early second, Detroit would be happy to pick a player of his caliber there.
Egor Afanasyev, LW, Muskegon (USHL)
An in-stater, Afanasyev has played in the USHL for the Muskegon Lumberjacks and is committed to play at Michigan State University in the fall. He is ranked in the late first round by most evaluators, though he was as high as 16th on the rankings of WingsNation’s own Cameron Kuom. While it is perhaps not likely that Afanasyev is going to be on the board when the Wings come up at pick #35, it is also not out of the question, as Afanasyev is ranked around where Jared McIsaac was last year, when the Canadian defenseman fell into Detroit’s lap at #36.
As for the player himself, Afanasyev is a similar player to what Detroit’s old regime liked in past drafts: a big bodied forward (see: Anthony Mantha, Evgeny Svechnikov, Michael Rasmussen). At 6’4”, Afanasyev is a Mantha-shaped human being with an excellent shot, which Cameron ranked the 4th best of the draft class. Afanasyev is also a highly skilled player, with Pronman remarking about his frequency of flashy skill plays. No one ranks him as an elite playmaker or defender, but he has the right tool box of offensive talent to make him an attractive option should he fall into the early second round.
Ilya Nikolayev, C, Loko Yaroslavl (MHL)
Nikolayev has been the top-line center on Russia’s junior teams, including at the U18 World Championships, where they took home the gold medal. Notably, Nikolayev has been the center on a line featuring Vasili Podkolzin on his wing. Nikolayev has posted good numbers in the MHL for an underager (still 17 years old), with 25 points in 41 games and he scored 7 points in 5 games in last summer’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup. The consensus with Nikolayev is that he will probably be a center at the next level. Everything besides that is all over the place.
While some have him as high as late first round, others have him at the back end of the second and it seems probable at this time that Nikolayev will be available when Detroit comes up to select at the start of round #2. There seems to be some disagreement among scouts about his hockey IQ and playmaking ability, with Pronman noting that Nikolayev is a creative offensive player while Last Word on Hockey questions his offensive upside and instead points out his defensive game. Both seem to agree that Nikolayev is a solid skater who lacks a quick first step, which could prove to be an issue at the next level. Still, the consensus is that he has a good shot to be an NHL center, which can’t be overlooked, and with solid size (6’0”), he isn’t a bad use of a 2nd rounder, especially if Detroit is looking to bolster its future talent down the middle.
Nikita Alexandrov, C, Charlottetown (QMJHL)
Alexandrov’s vitals and scouting read similarly to Nikolayev’s. He’s also an exactly six foot Russian centerman who seems likely to stick at the center position even as he progresses. Still, there are some differences. Alexandrov is playing in North America as opposed to Russia, which makes him a bit more of a known commodity to NHL scouts and he’s 9 months older than Nikolayev. Also, Alexandrov was born in Germany and played there prior to coming to the QMJHL for junior hockey, though he is ethnically Russian and identifies as a Russian for international competition.
As a player, he is generally ranked firmly in the second round, with less variety than Nikolayev. He had a strong second season in the Q, posting 61 points in 64 games. Every scouting report remarks that Alexandrov is not a great skater, but he gets around well enough to showcase a plus shot and excellent playmaking ability/skill. There are some questions being raised about his consistency, particularly his failure to regularly unlock his offensive tools, but he is talked about as a solid two-way player. Again, Alexandrov is a solid option to bolster center depth in the system, though he might be better taken with the latter two seconds than pick #36, should he fall that far.
Vladislav Firstov, LW, Waterloo (USHL)
Firstov is a scoring winger who was brought over from Russia to play in the USHL prior to this past season and is committed to UCONN for the 2019-20 season. Firstov scored 58 points in 62 games this past year, making a seamless transition to North American hockey. The first thing every scouting report about Firstov mentions is his shot. He earned an honorable mention on Cameron’s list of the best shots of the draft, and this profile from The Hockey Writers raves about it, calling it “a cannon”. That is the focal point of his offensive profile, the ability to score. But Firstov is also an able passer who has good skill and vision, though does not grade out as elite in either of those categories. He is called an average skater by most scouts and there seems to be a consensus that Firstov needs to be more physical and get stronger. Despite standing 6’1”, multiple scouting reports note that he is easy to knock off the puck and needs to fill out if he wants to make an impact at the next level. If the Red Wings are looking for a Russian scoring winger with a great shot in the 2nd round, and Afanasyev is already off the board, Firstov would not be a bad consolation prize.
Yegor Spiridonov, C, Magnitogorsk (MHL)
Spiridonov is significantly bigger than either Nikolayev or Alexandrov. Standing at 6’2”, 188 lbs., he is a physical monster of a human and has put up good stats in the MHL, with 41 points in 43 games. He is generally ranked in the 60s of most draft boards, putting him in that late second round, early third round type of range. The first thing every scouting report mentions is his size, followed by his strong defensive game. Pronman mentions his ability to kill penalties, while this brief blurb from The Hockey News points out his tenacity in knocking opponents off the puck. Most scouts generally agree that he has some offensive talent, particularly as a distributor, although some mention his shot as an asset. However, there are some major concerns with Spiridonov. Pronman notes Spiridonov’s skating as an issue, calling him “clunky” and lacking quickness, while Cameron went so far as to put Spiridonov on his “Do Not Draft” list, knocking Spiridonov for a lack of elite skills anywhere in his game, which makes Spiridonov sound more like a Riley Sheahan than anything else. Picking Spiridonov is a move that puts size and defense in high regard before skill, and he will probably be available when the Wings come back up with pick #56.
Mikhail Abramov, C, Victoriaville (QMJHL)
Abramov just completed his first season in the QMJHL, posting solid numbers for Victoriaville and is generally ranked as a second or third round prospect, meaning he could be a candidate for Detroit’s two late second rounders (or third rounder). Like most Russian forwards, Abramov is a playmaker first and foremost, with good creativity and passing ability, although scouts note his tendency to try and pass too much, a problem most pass-first players have. Pronman remarks that Abramov plays on the perimeter too much and at 5’11”, his physical game is lacking. There is very little on Abramov, with one of the top google results being a link to a wiki fandom page, because apparently there is a Mikhail Abramov in the Gabriel Allon spy novel series. As a result, I don’t have much else to say about him other than that he’s probably best served as a third round pick, although is another okay centerman option in this draft.
Pyotr Kochetkov, G, Ryazan (VHL)
The first and only Russian goalie I will mention, Kochetkov is very old for this draft class, being a mid-1999 birthday who will turn 20 a few days after the draft. Unlike many of the other Russians on this list, Kochetkov has been playing in the second tier men’s league (VHL), as opposed to the top junior league (MHL), and he has dipped his feet into the KHL.
A late riser who dominated the VHL this year, Kochetkov has asserted himself as firmly in the conversation to be the second goalie taken in the 2019 Draft after Spencer Knight. At 6’3”, he’s the right size to be a modern netminder and Pronman notes that Kochetkov moves well in the crease, with the tools to be an NHL goalie. He started for Russia in the WJC back in December, which means there’s a fair bit of tape on him, including this video, which I have started at his flashiest save of the tournament, a Hasek-esque sprawling kick save:
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That clip showcases both the agility that scouts rave about, but also the concerns that Kochetkov can get overaggressive. However, all things considered, there’s a good chance he will be available in the late second or even third round, and given that the Wings need to continue to bolster goalie depth in the system, he isn’t an unlikely pick at all. If you’re looking for a goalie who is much closer to the NHL than most draft-eligible goalies (which the Wings probably are), Kochetkov is your guy, since he will likely be in the KHL full time next season.
Artemi Knyazev, D, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
Like several other players in this article, Knyazev just got done with year one in the QMJHL and he put up some pretty stellar stats for a defenseman, with 34 points in 55 games. He’s ranked in the 60 range on several boards, but outside the top 100 on others, which makes it hard to get a feel for him. This profile contains several clips of the Russian defenseman, and the consensus among what few scouting profiles of him that exist is that he’s a good skater with plus agility and he plays an aggressive game, sometimes becoming too physical and risky in his own end. He’s willing to take chances, often with the puck on his stick, to try and create offense or relieve pressure from the other team. It’s tough to predict where’s he going to be drafted but he could be an option in the late second or third rounds if the Red Wings are looking for someone quick and with a higher ceiling, but also what seems to be a lower floor.
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