Analysis of the 2003 NHL Draft from Red Square in Russia
By Denis Neznanov

Nickolay Zherdev is indisputably a future star of NHL. What makes him prominent is that he is a superb magnificent stick-handler with meteor speed when he is with the puck. He manages to avoid every attempt to bodycheck him when he is with a puck. He penetrates into defense zone of his rivals with superb easiness due to his unique mobile skating and takes very original decisions, which usually ends up in a spectacular goal.

Andrey Kostitsyn is a phenomenon raised onto the ashes of Balarus hockey school and traditions of Dynamo Minsk. Team leader for Belarus and its hockey for many coming years. He is a totally different player from Zherdev. Yes, he can skate well and is not afraid to go in the corners and works along the boards. He has an excellent scoring touch and can produce. His size is pretty surprising for a kid of his age. He is real senior with his height and weight. 

Konstantin Glazachev is a very dynamic player with very good skating. He possesses nice inborn understanding of the game. Outstanding scouring touch. Accurate shot with quick release. Big problem with him is that he isn’t absolutely a team player. In one word, he is egoist. Also Konstantin isn’t big enough for the NHL and simulates often during the game his favorite dives!

Konstantin Pushkarev is a product of well-respected former Soviet hockey school of Ust-Kamenogorsk. He could be a real NHL power in 2 years but not right now. He is an exceptionally skilled player with lightning speed. He has very soft hands and accurate shot. Though he is very skinny and needs to beef up a lot, it doesn’t stops him from playing well among seniors in Russian Higher league. What makes this player to stand out of the majority group of players is his original decision making. Example: during under 2003 under 18 WJC, in Yaroslavl, he has produced a hat trick and one amazing assist in the game versus Belarus. He has totally outshined Kostytsyn’s brothers duo. One of his 3 goals was a beauty when he turned 360 degrees in front of the net and sent the puck in the upper right corner. His goal strongly resembled the one scored by Colorado’s Kamensky in the game versus Florida which NHL TV liked very much and repeated hundreds of times in the programs of best hockey moments. Wait a little bit until the kid will mature and probably it will be another long-time NHLer of Kamensky's calibre. Some scouts compare him to Joe Nieuwendyk.

Dmitry Chernykh is the son of well-known hockey player Alexander Chernykh who is an Olympic Champion in Calgary in 1988 with Soviet Red Machine and also a participant of many Superseries versus NHL clubs with his native club Voskresensk Khimik. Due to serious injuries, the father retired too early but did not leave the hockey world. As a coach he raised his son and some other players. Dmitry Chernykh resembles his father in hockey style and manner to control the game just a little bit and that’s the opinion of Alexander’s former teammates. What makes him distinctive from many others is that he is a real mobile power forward who isn’t afraid to crash the net and go into the mess along the boards. He is always at the right place at the proper time. He works hard each shift and all the time you watch him play, it seems you scout another player with growing offensive potential.

Yevgeny Tunik is huge physically and a very strong power forward with surprising good skating for his size and impressive overall skills. His breakaway speed is amazing. He covers the puck well with his body and it is very difficult to remove him from it. Scores goals from various angles and produces timely brilliant assists from inconvenient positions. He gains rival’s zone with easiness. This big kid has already full bagage of experience in Russia’s Higher League playing versus seniors. Real NHLer.

Igor Mirnov is an experienced player with two good seasons in the Russia’s Superleague among seniors. Though his skating ability is quite OK he isn’t that spectacular a forward as traditionally many other Russians are but he can be a real workaholic who brings profit and makes good result onto any team. Can play both as a winger and center.

Dmitry  Kosmachev doesn’t resemble any typical North American model of defenseman who may hit hard and easily drive someone into the boards. His huge height and impressive weight is amazing but he doesn’t utilize it to clean the crease well. Instead, he tries to outplay his opponents by his reach of long soft hands. Defenseman who doesn’t like to push in front of his own net and isn’t much of a help to the goalkeeper. His strongest side of hockey education is that he is well-coached tactically and takes right position onto the ice each shift. He is calm and typical a stay at home defenseman who isn’t much of a help to the offense. Needs to be more aggressive. Only his size gives an indication that his will develop into NHL defenseman. He is still raw material. 2-3 years away from world’s best league action. Good for him that he is working with experienced coach of CSKA Moscow Viktor Tikhonov.

Dmitry Pestunov is the classic smallish type Russian center with speed, hands understanding of the game and scoring touch but size is the main concern which will not allow him to play in the NHL. Nothing special in this player to be admired.

Konstantin Barulin is the last hope of Russia’s national team program to keep its net safe. For the recent decade, Russia hasn’t produced much strong goalkeepers with work ethic and real skill to stop the puck. Progresses each year.

Ivan Khomutov is a very raw material. What’s the hype about this towering center forward in the beginning of 02-03 season? Difficult to understand his style of play because he simply wastes his time onto the ice. Typical lazy-bone. He skates circles around the rink without the puck and doesn’t open himself in right positions when needed to receive a pass. Switches out of the game very often. It’s easy to knock him of the puck. Weak legs. Falls onto the ice too much during the game. Doesn’t utilize properly his height and weight.

Grigory Shafigullin is a big towering center forward who isn’t afraid to go into the corners and work along the boards. His skating isn’t that good but it’s quite typical to the players of his giant height. He can become a real nasty guy who gets under the skin of his rivals. It’s very difficult to remove him from the puck. He uses his size very well. The accuracy of his wrist shots is not bad. Works a lot and projects into very good power center that loves to push a lot.

Denis Ezhov isn’t a big defenseman. He hash good skating and choice of position. Sometimes quite unexplainably, he switches out of the game and loses control of the play. Denis is an offensive defenseman with good first assist. He can be a team leader. By the end of the 2002-03 season, it was still very difficult to see him as a real NHL prospect.

Konstantin Volkov isn’t a very well known player in the scouting community. Konstantin has never been invited to under-18 national team of Russia and did not play with the farm team of Dynamo Moscow but rather with the junior Dynamo squad one year younger then his 1986 birthdates. In any case, he is a very quick winger with good skating and magnificent puck control. What differienciates him from the majority of the Russians drafted in 2003 is his hockey vision. After sudden stop in rival’s side, he perfectly takes decisions and makes killing pauses going on to control the puck before producing tape-to-tape passes or quick release by himself onto the net. Someone from Toronto staff said he reminds him of Igor Larionov. That’s true. The only question is how this kid will look like at the senior level in the Dynamo organization. He has skills but he is still skinny and needs to beef up to turn into a real NHL prospect.

For now it’s quite understandable that Columbus has caught a real luck selecting three worthy prospects in winger Zherdev, defenseman Kosmachev and scoring leader of Rusiian Superleague among defensemen in overaged Guskov Alexander. NYI has also got worthy picks in winger Chernykh, center Tunik and overaged winger Volkov Igor. Nashville has also done not so bad by picking winger Glazachev, center Shafigullin, and undoubtful surprise overestimated goalkeeper Sidikov in pair with overaged CSKA defenseman Mukhachev Andrey.

Overall, 36 Russians were chosen at the 2003 NHL Draft ceremony. Lots of picks spent on Russian players does not always guarantee quick success within 2-3 years. Some teams choose only one kid who turns into a real NHL threat after just one year in the minors. Let’s hope that Los Angeles' pick #44 (Pushkarev) and Toronto's #125 (Volkov) are such cases. Some other prospects just remain prospects for many years. Though who knows…maybe…maybe… Scouting business is a big lottery!