While the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers head towards a 7th game in the Stanley Cup Final, we’re just under a week away from the NHL Entry Draft. Based solely on the rankings, we’re getting thin on prospects to talk about that may be available at #23, as we’ve covered quite a few. One under the radar option for the Leafs could be Matvei Shuravin.
Matvei Shuravin
Position: Defense
Shoots: Left
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 195lbs
We’ll start with the sheer size of Shuravin. While I’ve seen him listed at 195lbs more often than not, I’ve also seen him at 219lbs, which is obviously a significant difference. At that weight he goes from “rangy” to “robust” and would have the size to handle NHL forwards much sooner. Either way, he is still a large teenager at 195lbs and plays a physical game, but it wouldn’t be described as bruising. He’s eager to battle in front of the net and along the walls and isn’t afraid to block shots. His skating is above average and that allows him to retrieve dump ins, while his solid passing ability often turns those retrievals into clean breakouts for his team.
Like a lot of the stay-at-home defenders in the world, Shuravin isn’t about to wow you with his offensive skill. While his passing and playmaking can surprise at times, he’ll likely never see the powerplay in the NHL, as his shot isn’t top end either. If he doesn’t have a pass to make he isn’t afraid to carry the puck up ice, but he could use a little work there as well. In general his IQ and decision making leads to clean exits and entries, but at times he handcuffs himself while being the puck carrier by skating into coverage and/or turning the puck over.
In short, Shuravin’s game is largely based around solid positioning and above average skating that he uses to stay with attackers and close them into small spaces. Once there he has the strength and ability to separate them from the puck and then send that puck to his forwards quickly and cleanly. At the very least he has the potential to be a 3rd pairing defender that logs heavy minutes while shorthanded, but with his IQ and skating ability he brings very real top 4 potential as well. He’s ranked as an early to mid 2nd round pick in general, but with his size he could be taken a little earlier than that.