Martin Madden expressed the Ducks' increased comfort level when potentially selecting a Russian prospect early in the NHL Draft.
The 2024 NHL Entry Draft is set to take place on June 28-29 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Several prospects from Russian leagues are projected to be selected in the first round, including a pair in the first 5-10 picks. There's an ever-present and emphasized "Russian Factor" surrounding the analysis of the NHL Draft.
Ducks assistant GM Martin Madden discusses 2024 NHL Draft
The Ducks hold the third overall selection at the 2024 NHL Draft. According to public consensus, that places them in the range to potentially select one of two high-profile Russian draft-eligible prospects, forward Ivan Demidov and defenseman Anton Silayev.
The Ducks are also set to hold seven more selections in the first 100 picks at the Draft, potentially placing them in the range to select other Russian players like forward Igor Chernyshov, forward Nikita Artamonov, forward Yegor Surin, defenseman Matvei Shuravin, and/or goaltender Ilya Nabokov.
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"Five years ago, I would have said not at all," Ducks Assistant General Manager and Director of Amateur Scouting Martin Madden stated when asked about the comfort level of the team selecting Russian players in the draft. "But we did have to go through a few drafts where we basically drafted off of video ninety-five percent. You get one live look at a player and you still have to assess off of 10, 20, 25 live video viewings. By now, we are comfortable with the process."
The pandemic-shortened season of 2020-21 and the following 2021-22 season where executives and scouts had limited live viewings and contact with draft-eligible players presented a unique circumstance for NHL scouting departments.
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The Ducks have seemingly yielded success with their early-round picks in the drafts of 2021 and 2022. Mason McTavish (3rd overall in 2021), Olen Zellweger (34th in '21), Pavel Mintyukov (10th in '22), and Tristan Luneau (53rd in '22) are all set to assume impactful NHL roles in the 2024-25 season.
Sasha Pastujov (66th in '21), Tyson Hinds (76th in '21), Josh Lopina (98th in '21), Nathan Gaucher (22nd in '22), and Noah Warren (42nd in '22) will all likely remain important pieces of the San Diego Gulls in the AHL, the Ducks' minor league affiliate. Goaltenders Gage Alexander (148th in '21) and Vyacheslav Buteyets (178th in '22) are also likely to see substantial time in the Ducks' minor league system next season.
The Russian Factor
The "Russian Factor" looms over NHL draft rooms league-wide and has noticeably impacted recent drafts.
The political climate, KHL contracts, uncertain timelines, and limited live viewings have made NHL teams wary of spending significant draft capital on players from Russian leagues.
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Matvei Michkov (7th overall in '23), Ivan Miroshnichenko (20th in '22), and Danila Yurov (24th in '22) are all examples of players selected lower in their respective drafts than they likely would have under different circumstances.
How It Effects the 2024 Draft
NHL teams will have big decisions to make at the top of the 2024 draft.
Ivan Demidov is widely considered one of the elite offensive talents in the 2024 NHL Draft. Demidov led the MHL (Russia's U20 junior league) in points-per-game with 23 goals and 60 points in 30 regular season games for SKA St. Petersburg.
Though he was clearly too talented for the league, Demidov played 30 of his 34 regular season games in the MHL. He played four games in the KHL to begin the season with SKA St. Petersburg.
Anaheim Ducks 2024 Draft Target: Ivan Demidov
"For me, it’s nice to have been able to get a live look in terms of Ivan Demidov," Martin Madden said. "He’s still hurt, so he didn’t get on the ice. But to talk to him and so on and so forth."
Demidov will remain under contract for the 2024-25 season with SKA St. Petersburg, but has expressed his interest in transitioning to North America once the season has concluded.
Anton Silayev is one of the top defensive prospects in the 2024 NHL Draft. He is a hulking 6-foot-7 left-shot defenseman who can skate like the wind and has a polished defensive acumen.
Anaheim Ducks 2024 Draft Target: Anton Silayev
"Silayev is a unicorn. Big guy who can really skate," Madden said of the defenseman from the Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod organization. "Has really good defensive awareness. Had a great start to the season. Had to deal with some injuries in the second half, but showed he was able to adapt to different levels. Really interesting player."
Silayev played 63 regular season games in 2023-24, all in the KHL and tallied 11 points. He finished with two assists in five KHL playoff games and three assists in ten MHL playoff games.
Silayev is under contract through the 2025-26 season and his timeline for a transition to North America is uncertain.
Martin Madden expressed the Ducks comfort in potentially spending early-round picks on a Russian player. "We’ve had enough live viewings of these players through Konstantin Krylov, our Russian scout," he said. "We are comfortable. It’s not a big deal."
There are a few talented, tantalizing draft-eligible players in the 2024 NHL Draft that could seemingly fit nicely within the Anaheim Ducks' young nucleus. It will be fascinating to witness how the draft unfolds, and one of the more intriguing storylines will be where these talented Russian players land.
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