With the NHL draft rapidly approaching and the Russian leagues nearing the end of their playoffs, teams are looking to find impact players in the middle and later rounds. These players play an underrated role in the success of the organization. Let’s take a look at some of these day-two options from Russia.

Daniil Prokhorov – MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg

Prokhorov is one of Russia’s best goal-scorers in this class. His raw numbers support this, with this season seeing a big jump in production. He played in 43 regular-season games and had 20 goals. Additionally, Prokhorov loves to shoot the puck. In the regular season, he had a staggering 187 shots, averaging over four shots per game. Moreover, he has not had a game with less than three shots since December 24.

However, what is more impressive than the numbers is how he gets the job done. Prokhorov is not an exceptional skater, but he uses his 6-6 frame to create separation from defenders and utilize his quick release. You can likely find Prokhorov around the net when his team has pressure in the offensive zone. He battles in the dirty areas and can cash in on his opportunities. Prokhorov’s speed is the most significant concern and could cause him to slip to later rounds. That said, his offensive instincts, scoring ability, and stature provide a potential second-day draft selection that teams will be happy with.

Dmitri Isayev – Avto Yekaterinburg

At every stop of his young career, Isayev has produced. His dominance was especially present at the Russian U16 and U17 levels, but his strong play has continued in the MHL this year. He scored 22 goals and finished with 45 points for Avto Yekaterinburg, with four points in five playoff games. Isayev is impressive in many areas, namely, his tenacity and determination. He never takes a play off and gives 110 percent when going for a loose puck. Isayev flies up and down the ice, with and without the puck. He takes these skills and turns them into dangerous offensive play.

He possesses a great shot with a lot of torque on it. He is a danger to score from anywhere in the offensive zone and is not afraid to fire the puck on the net. Additionally, Isayev goes to the dirty areas and is unafraid to engage in board battles. He has a low center of gravity and is tough to knock off the puck. His playmaking ability is also high-level, especially breaking the puck out of his defensive zone. Every pass he makes is hard and there are very few hope plays. He parlays this with his tenacity, and the team is poised to generate chances with Isayev on the ice. Now, Isayev’s physical stature may be a cause for concern. He stands at 5-9, 148 pounds, but his play makes up for his lack of size. With the proper physical development, Isayev could become an excellent day-two selection who could see a long NHL career.

Roman Bausov – MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg

Bausov is a big defender with a high defensive IQ. He stands at a menacing 6-5 and is a steady defense-minded defenseman. He does not light up the stat sheet, registering just 11 points in 41 games, but he impacts the game in other ways. Namely, he is very hard to play against in his zone. He is not the quickest player but utilizes his frame and reach to disrupt plays. He also does a good job at clearing the front of the net.

Bausov does not have great north-south speed and is not the fastest player, but he takes advantage of long strides to get up and down the ice. As mentioned, he does not generate too many points but has a quiet but strong ability to make a good first pass out of the zone. He is patient with the puck and rarely turns it over. Bausov is an intriguing defense-minded defenseman who can potentially impact the bottom two pairs of a defensive core.

Makar Fomin – Severstal Cherepovets

Most of Fomin’s games this season have come in the MHL, with some brief stints in Russia’s top league. Despite Fomin’s struggles in the KHL, he succeeded and had a strong season with Severstal. He is the club’s top defenseman and routinely plays over 20 minutes a night in all situations. He has translated this time into 23 points, with a plus-23 rating. Despite this relatively small size, standing at 5-11 and 165 pounds, Fomin can make plays in the offensive and defensive zones.

Fomin does not boast outstanding north-south speed but does utilize quick crossovers and edgework effectively. Fomin is also very active when his team is attacking. His shot from the point does not come in with velocity, but he changes the shooting angle to find a way through and compensate for the lack of velocity. He is confident and decisive with the puck, rarely putting the puck in harm’s way. However, this conservative nature leads to a lack of pace and defensive struggles. Fomin tends to be a passenger. He takes a good body position but is not overpowering in clearing out the front of his net. He also does not have a very active stick and surrenders high-danger chances. His offensive game and skating ability may be enough for a team to get him into their system. Fomin may be an option in the back half of day two.

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