Daniil Skvortsov

November 2025 – Skvortsov was claimed by the Western Hockey League’s Brandon Wheat Kings off CHL Import Waivers after he had one point in six games to start the 2025-26 season and had been a healthy scratch for his last seven games in the Ontario Hockey League with the Guelph Storm. Mark Henry

June 2025 – After all the picks had been made in the 2025 Entry Draft, Skvortsov was left unselected. He will get back to work and hope to hear his name as a re-entry in 2026.

Final Rankings – Danill Skvortsov is a disciplined, defensively mature 6-4 defenceman with strong rush defense, physicality, and smart positional play, thriving in a shutdown role despite limited offensive flash. While his puck play is simple, he supports the rush well and projects as a reliable penalty killer or 5v5 defensive anchor at the NHL level.—David Saad

June 2025—In a draft with plenty of 6-3+ defencemen, Skvortsov brings among the most complete packages. We’ve established he’s big, but he’s also heavy, and, when combined with his low, compact posture, this gives him an excellent physical profile. That posture also shows up in his skating, where Skvortsov possesses some legitimate explosiveness and maneuverability at high speeds, allowing him to pounce on checks, make strong pinches, or transition the puck with his feet.

While this seems to give the impression of an intense D-man with a high activity-rate, that’s not really Skvortsov’s style. His defensive game is calculated and poised, relying on his positioning and accurate reads to break up plays. He’ll need to add another layer of physicality to make scouts’ eyes truly light up, but Skvortsov has a ton of promise as an NHL defender.—Luke Sweeney