Pavel Mintyukov

March 2024 – The 2022 9th overall pick has made his NHL debut and is really standing out at the NHL level. While many thought he would have a hard time in his first year, he’s leading the struggling Ducks on the first powerplay unit. Mintyukov has 26 points in 57 games played so far this season, but points aside his offensive awareness and skating have really put himself ahead of others and anyone else in the defensive pipeline. His defensive awareness still needs some work but it will come with more experience. David Calabretta 

July 2023 – Mintyukov was a member of the Anaheim Ducks’ prospect trio that won awards for being the top defenseman in the OHL, QMJHL, and WHL. He was on pace for nearly 100 points until he was acquired by the Ottawa 67’s midway through the 2022-23 season. His numbers across the board dipped after the trade, including goals, assists, shots and +/-. He finished the season with 88 points, good for 14th league-wide and first among all OHL defensemen. He has proved repeatedly in the OHL that he is a capable offensive defenseman; the only concern is regarding his defensive game. Still, even if he never becomes a quality defensive defenseman, he can make up for it with his transitional play and strong hockey IQ. Naftali Clifton

July 2022 – Mintyukov has been selected by the Anaheim Ducks with the 10th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. Nick Richard

January 2022 – In the midst of his first full season in North America, Pavel Mintyukov has produced very well on the scoresheet as he currently ranks third among draft-eligible OHL defencemen in points. With only a portion of the season having been played so far, it will be interesting to see if Pavel continues to contribute at this pace. While the offensive production may be a selling point to NHL scouts, there are other intriguing aspects to the Russian defenceman’s game as well.

At 6-1 and 192 pounds, the rangy left-handed defender has good size and the physical build for professional hockey. His offensive style of play is something we have gotten used to in this new era of two-way defencemen. His skating, offensive instincts, and powerplay game are areas of strength for him, as he constantly jumps up into the rush and helps his team in creating offense. He plays a disciplined game and is physical when he has to be but doesn’t take himself out of the play to make big hits. While his defensive game has plenty of room for improvement, he possesses the physical tools and smarts to build and develop a better two-way game in the future. While his game is fairly raw at the moment, he is a player to keep an eye on for the future. He will likely be considered worthy of a first or second-round selection in the 2022 draft, but his second-half performance will be crucial for his draft stock. Evan Pace