Denis Malov

November 2022 – Malov is a very intriguing prospect in the upcoming draft for a variety of reasons. He is a very fun player to watch as he endears himself to the viewer – and likely his coaches – with his excellent motor and compete level. Malov has been playing left wing on the third line and is a fixture on the top penalty killing unit for Omskie Yastreby in the MHL, and is embracing this role. He spent much of the season injured but has returned to play as of late October. He has recorded seven points in four MHL games this season.

As a forechecker, Malov is strong in pursuit due to a relentless desire to pressure opponents with his speed and physicality. He also plays with good leverage and is tough around the boards. Malov’s intensity is evident as a penalty killer, and he is very active on the kill in all facets. He pressures well and can trap opposing players causing them to run out of space to move the puck. He gets in the way of passing lanes and forces less dangerous puck movement. Finally, he is a fearless shot blocker and will put his body in front of any shot. Simply put, Malov has embraced his role of making opposing players uncomfortable in situations where they should have the advantage.

Malov is a very smooth skater who looks fluid while gliding along the ice. He accelerates quickly and can close in on puck carriers and run them off their lanes. For now, he might be quicker than fast, but he gets up to speed in a hurry and changes directions with ease. If he can add another gear at top speed, he could be a great skater rather than simply a good skater.

Despite the nearly two points per game production, Malov has not shown enough consistency in generating offense. Many of his points have come from tapping in loose pucks, deflections, and secondary assists, so the production is a bit inflated. Still, Malov has some impressive skill, adequate passing, and a decent shot, but will need to refine his skill and translate it more to offensive creation. There are definitely flashes of skill in Malov’s game that are quite impressive, though. He has shown he evades defenders with toe drags and by putting the puck between his legs, leaving the defenders in his tracks. Malov definitely has the foundation to be a solid offensive contributor but needs to build on it.

Malov is a very good prospect already due to his combination of size, skating, competitiveness, and physicality. Additionally, Malov is also a very young prospect for his class, which should give teams confidence that he might have more room to grow and improve his skills post-draft. He should have a good chance to become a middle-six contributor who is hard to play against. If things click for him offensively, he could climb up draft boards in a hurry and be a player with top-six potential. Malov is just scratching the surface of what he can do and could be an effective player in the NHL one day. Jordan Harris