Kirill Kudryavtsev

July 2022 – Kudryavtsev was drafted in the seventh round (201st overall) by the Vancouver Canucks. The left-shot rearguard made the trip across the pond for the 2021-22 campaign, suiting up for the Soo Greyhounds. His transition to the small ice was rather seamless, earning immediate top-four minutes and making his presence felt on the scoresheet. With 39 points (5-34-39), the Russian defender finished third among rookie defenders league-wide. He is a player who brings pinches of everything and can be more than competent at both ends of the ice. His game lacks consistency, and there are tendencies to take his foot off the gas. However, when he’s on, he is a competitor and a dual threat on the ice. As a seventh-round pick, his path to the top offers an extended timeline. However, despite falling at the draft table, he projects quite high and carries interesting NHL upside. Dave Hall