'Sky Is The Limit' For Top 2027 NHL Draft Russian Prospect Sergei Skvortsov

NIZHNY NOVGOROD, RUSSIA — For a player who many scouts believe could go in the top-3 of the 2027 NHL draft, Sergei Skvortsov's first goal in the KHL was not exactly a thing of beauty.

Picking up the puck in his professional debut behind the opposing net, Skvortsov circled around and attempted to find a teammate in front. But with all the traffic clogging the crease, the puck ended up banking in off a defenseman's skate.

When it eventually found the back of the net, not even Skvortsov knew what had happened.

"At first, I couldn't see the puck. I didn't see it in the net at all. Everyone came toward me, and I hadn't even had time to process what had happened," Skvortsov said in an exclusive interview with The Hockey News. "Then, when the five of us were hugging, the emotions were indescribable. That meant so much.

"As soon as I got back to the bench, I realized: I've scored. That means I can score again."

Though the goal might not have had highlight-reel potential, it was monumental for other reasons.

The primary one being that at 17 years and 178 days, Skvortsov became the second-youngest player in Torpedo Nizhny history to score in the KHL. He also joined an exclusive group that includes Evgeny Kuznetsov, Vladimir Tarasenko, Kirill Kaprizov and Matvei Michkov who scored their first KHL goal before the age of 18.

"The sky is the limit with this kid," said Tony Ferrari, a draft expert with The Hockey News.

Skvortsov was born in Semyonov, a small town in the Nizhny Novgorod region, about 310 miles from Moscow. His father played amateur hockey, but it was his mother who first took him to the rink when he was only four years old, while his father was away for work.

Despite his father's background, hockey wasn't pushed on him. Skvortsov's older brother, Alexander, is an accomplished Muay Thai fighter and a Russian national champion. 

"They were actually planning to put me in Muay Thai, too, but then my mom decided it should be hockey," Skvortsov said. "I was four and super active. They had to put me in something, either soccer or hockey. They chose hockey, thank goodness."

Skvortsov credited his dad, who eventually become more involved in his training, for developing his work ethic, skating and impressive shot.

"Our practices were always in the evening," said Skvortsov. "In the morning, we could go to the stadium. We worked a lot on my first-step quickness when I was a kid. We also spent a lot of time working on my shot. We had this outdoor rink with an asphalt surface. My dad made a special shooting surface out of plywood, sort of like off-ice 'ice.' We went there practically every day or every other day to shoot."

Skvortsov spent all of last season with Torpedo's junior team, where he was an alternate captain and led the team in scoring with 19 goals and 43 points in 52 games.

Because of his height and lethal shot, scouts have compared him to Ilya Kovalchuk. But because of his slight frame, there are some who wonder if his body will be able to handle the physical nature of the NHL.

With that in mind, his father worked on putting muscle on Skvortsov, who is listed at 6 foot 1 and 154 pounds — although the results were mixed.

"I have a fast metabolism," he said. "It didn’t really happen. I think it'll come with time."

Skvortsov's older brother has also played a part in his preparation. Now 28 years old, Alexander coaches youth and occasionally trains his brother during the summer. Those sessions have allowed Skvortsov a chance to take his mind off hockey, especially when they take a break from hockey and practice martial arts.

"I have some technique, of course. But I wouldn't say it's anything special," he said of his Muay Thai skills. "Sometimes I visit him in the summer, and he trains me. That really helps me take my mind off hockey, too."

When asked if his martial arts training could make him dangerous when dropping the gloves, Skvortsov issued the following warning: "I prefer scoring goals and setting them up. But when you need to stand up for a teammate or your team, I think that's a must."

Skvortsov's introduction to the NHL also came through his father. They watched game highlights together when he was a child and one player immediately stood out to him was Detroit Red Wings star Pavel Datsyuk.

"We didn't just watch Detroit. We watched different teams," Skvortsov said. "But I noticed him right away because of his game, the way he thought and his stickhandling."

Above all, he loved the way Datsyuk could tie defenders in knots.

"His hockey IQ is at the highest level," he said of Datsyuk. "I think the most important thing when you step on the ice is to have a clear head. Everything else comes after that."

Among today's stars, Skvortsov singles out Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, particularly admiring the defenseman's puck skills. His list also includes Alex Ovechkin, whom he describes in one word: "Legend."

But he is in no rush to model himself after any one of his favorite players.

"I don't know who you could compare me to. It's probably still too early," he said. "I just try to play my own game, my own hockey. I want to be special, to have no equal."

Skvortsov considers speed his biggest strength, the same quality he has worked on with his father since childhood. On that front, he is comfortable with a comparison to one of his idols.

"Yes, like McDavid," he said.

Though Skvortsov will be eligible for the NHL draft next summer, his contract with Torpedo runs through 2029. Unless something changes, he will have to wait another two years before coming over to North America.

For now, his immediate goal is to establish himself in his hometown club’s lineup and prove he has the tools to excel in the NHL one day.

"I try not to think about any of that at all. It's not something I need to worry about yet," he said of the draft and the attention he's been receiving from scouts. "Obviously, summer is coming, but there's still a lot of work to do."

When asked about draft rankings, where most have him in the top-5, Skvortsov said, "I look, scroll past, and that's it. I look and forget about it. What matters right now is winning every game for Torpedo, putting up points and helping the team. That’s the most important thing to me right now.

"I've scored. That means I can score again."

Daria Tuboltseva is a Russian-based journalist, who has specialized in hockey coverage since 2016. She has covered the 2022 Olympic Games, several World Championships and every single Gagarin Cup Final (KHL) since 2017. She can be found on X @DariaTuboltseva