Spotlight: which of the Russians will be selected in the NHL draft

The annual NHL draft will be held in Buffalo at the end of the week. The league's clubs will select the most talented young hockey players in the world and get the rights to them. This year, Russians are hardly worth waiting for among the first numbers, but several of our players are competing for a first-round pick. According to estimates by North American scouts and insiders, the two central strikers, Ilya Morozov and Egor Shilov, are of the greatest interest. Both are already playing in North America and are considered one of the most notable Russian prospects of the current draft.

Morozov and Shilov: smart centers

The central forward position is traditionally a scarce one for world hockey, and in Russia over the past 10 years there has been a particular shortage of high-class players in this position, which requires a particularly deep understanding of the game, as well as the ability to organize attacks and pass passes to extreme forwards. This year's draft is highly likely to feature two main avenues from Russia.

Ilya Morozov was born in Moscow and started playing hockey in Zelenograd, then trained at schools of the capital Dynamo and CSKA. Even before coming of age, the forward went to North America, choosing a relatively rare path for Russian hockey players — through the NCAA, the National Collegiate Sports Association of the USA.

Now 17-year-old Morozov plays for the University of Miami team. He shows high performance, and experts from the NHL Central Scouting Bureau note his usefulness in defense, reading the game and the ability to launch an attack under pressure. An additional advantage is the size: height 191 cm and weight 91 kg. Such data is especially appreciated in North American hockey.

Egor Shilov is 18 years old. The Tyumen native has been playing in the QMJHL, Quebec's premier junior hockey league, for several seasons now. Last season, he scored 82 points in the goal+pass system — 32 goals and 50 assists in 63 games. After enrolling in one of the North American universities, the forward can also pursue a career in the NCAA.

Scouts note Shilov's high hockey intelligence, his vision of the court and his ability to sharpen the game with passing. At the same time, among the questions to him are speed and stability in the power struggle. However, these qualities can be developed, and therefore Shilov, like Morozov, retains a good chance of being selected in the first round — approximately in the second or third ten.

From KHL to NHL

Several hockey players playing in Russia may also end up in the first round. Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod striker Viktor Fedorov made his KHL debut last season and played 18 matches in the regular season. Earlier, the player, who turned 18 in February, gained a foothold in the VHL, for the Avtozavodtsev farm club Torpedo-Gorky. That is, he has already adapted to adult hockey.

Another Nizhny Novgorod forward, Gleb Pugachev, who was born a month later than Fedorov, follows a similar path. He is also a foundation player in the VHL and is gradually getting playing practice in the KHL.

Another notable candidate is the striker of the Yekaterinburg Avtomobilist system, Lavr Gashilov. Last season, he became one of the best scorers in the Junior Hockey League with Avto. At the end of the season, Gashilov made his KHL debut for the Ural main team, and also played two matches in the VHL for the Gornyak farm club.

It is expected that next season the son of the famous KHL referee Viktor Gashilov will play more often at the adult level. With a successful career development, he can also become one of the Russian players selected in the first round of the NHL draft.

According to forecasts by North American experts, 18-year—old Canadian striker Gavin McKenna is likely to be selected as the first number, while his age-old Swede Ivar Stenberg, the winner of the last World Youth Championship, will be chosen as the second.

The last time a Russian was selected in the top 3 of the draft was in 2018. Then the Carolina Hurricanes secured the second-place rights to Andrei Svechnikov, who soon became one of the club's leaders and won the Stanley Cup with him this summer. Ilya Kovalchuk (2001, Atlanta Thrashers), Alexander Ovechkin (2002, Washington Capitals) and Nail Yakupov (2012, Edmonton Oilers) have been selected three times in our history.

The next draft ceremony will be held on June 26-28 in Buffalo.