Yan Melnikov

Final Rankings: Melnikov is a high energy, undersized winger who thrives playing at a high pace. Yan has some tremendous flashes of skill, beating players one-on-one with smooth hands and deception. Melnikov is not just a small, skilled player with a good shot; his effort and skating allow him to win battles and be an effective forechecker. – Zak Egan

October 2025- Melnikov reads the game really well. He sees seams and passing lanes and has deception when he makes the passes. Yan is a good skater who is shifty and elusive, darting into the middle and back out as necessary. At 5’10 you don’t expect to see him finishing checks on the forecheck and turning over pucks but he is. Melnikov has silky hands that seem very natural. Utilizes his teammates in 2v1’s off the cycle. Yan has a quick release when shooting but is definitely a pass first player who could benefit from a shooting mentality. He has a really good defensive stick and reads the game well out of possession.-Zak Egan