Maxim Groshev

December 2019 – Groshev impressed for the first time at last year’s WJC-18. He scored three goals in that tournament, including the tie-breaker on a great rush against Sweden in the final game. This season, he has earned a roster spot in the KHL with Neftekhimik, and a little bit surprisingly made the Russian roster at WJC-20. Even though he hasn’t impressed at the KHL level, he managed to produce points at the junior level and elevated his game throughout the season.

Groshev is a winger with large frame, and he likes to rush the puck himself. He is a pretty prototypical power forward. He knows how to take advantage of his size and move the puck through the neutral zone. He shows some flashes of creativity sometimes but his game is mostly strict and aimed to go to the net. He likes to shoot the puck, and his wrist shot is quite a good weapon. He lacks tempo at senior level so far, but his skating isn’t weak as he is pretty agile taking size into equation. Top speed is decent for his size, but acceleration definitely needs some work.

Groshev is likely to develop into a strong middle-six forward without any standout tools. But with size, good rushing skills, and ability to score goals from close distance, he seems to be an attractive option for teams searching to add some quality prospect pool depth. Not a star, but a useful utility guy you’d like to see on your team. Groshev should be a mid-round pick at the 2020 NHL Draft, and likely won’t bump his draft stock at the World Juniors while playing on the fourth line.  Sergei Kuzin