Alan Shaikhlislamov

September 2026 – Shaikhlislamov was someone I had my eyes on for the 2026 draft as someone going under the radar. Russian prospects tend to have certain preconceptions about them, not completely without reason, but Shaikhlislamov plays a style that is more pro-suited than many prospects in general. A good speed and a good motor make him able to cover ice in every phase of play. Shaikhlislamov isn’t the biggest player around, but he plays like someone much bigger, fearless in battles and knowing how to leverage his body quite well. To go with Shaikhlislamov’s well-rounded off-puck game is a nasty wrist shot and the brain to find gaps on offense.

As it stands, he relies too much on his speed alone to gain entries. There needs to be more lateral movement and deception or feints in his entries to open up more room for him to exploit. The handling is the one aspect that limits Shaikhlislamov’s offensive upside as it stands. He requires too much help opening space when he can’t just use his speed. His playmaking is hit or miss. He sometimes uses his teammates to great effect, but other times leaves you very frustrated as he forces plays when much better options are clearly there. As it stands, with a reliable backup game and offensive tools that can easily lend themselves to an energetic sniper, Shaikhlislamov is a decent stash if you can wait the many years it’ll likely take him to jump over to the NHL. Markus R