I’m not overly thrilled at the idea of adding another winger to the system, but best player available is generally the rule of thumb while drafting and at #23, if he’s still on the board, it’s quite possible that Chernyshov will be that player.
Igor Chernyshov
Position: Left Wing
Shoots: Right
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 192lbs
Chernyshov is a player that brings a lot of skill to the ice. He’s a strong skater that’s adept at protecting the puck and uses that ability to buy time to find the right spots to get a great shot on net. He can beat goalies clean already as well as set up plays. He projects to be more of a scorer than a playmaker, but does both well. His defensive game is solid, as he reads the ice well when he doesn’t have the puck. This allows him to cut off passing lanes and to be in the right position to help turn the puck up ice. He has a variety of really good skills which should make his road to the NHL a short one.
While his road into the NHL may be a short one for a mid first round selection, whichever team takes Chernyshov will likely have to wait a few years in order to see the full potential of his offensive game. He’s still growing into his power forward frame and plays a style of game that involves battling in the corners and in front of the net, so he’ll need the extra muscle that will come with age. While he’s willing to play a gritty game and has experience doing it against men in the KHL (34 KHL games played this past season), he’ll have to adjust to the smaller space and quicker reads that the NHL will bring. His top end speed isn’t that high but more important is his first few steps, which he’ll have to work on if he wants to reach his full potential.
At the end of the day it’s not surprising that Toronto has shown interest in Chernyshov. As is the case with most teams, they tend to lean towards certain type of players in the draft and we’re hearing the same buzz words about Chernyshov as we have about the other prospects that they’re known to like. High hockey IQ, a willingness to battle and a game with no quit, combined with skill and great skating are all things that Chernyshov brings to the ice. He has all of the tools to be a terrific NHLer and again, while I’m not thrilled about the idea of adding another winger to the system, they’d be lucky to have Chernyshov in blue and white.