The Los Angeles Kings desperately need to inject some talent into their thinning prospect pool, and the 21st overall pick in the 2024 draft will give them that opportunity.
We're still a month away from the draft, but it's never too early to look at potential picks.
Starting this series is Dynamo Moskva forward Igor Chernyshov.
A 6-foot-3, 196-pound left wing, Chernyshov would add some much-needed size and skill to the prospect pool.
Chernyshov has a toolkit that makes scouts salivate. He's big, moves well and is a smart player with the puck.
Some scouts have described Cherynyshov as a modern power-forward type, not a true bruiser but someone who uses their size to generate offense and isn't afraid to get into the dirty areas.
He's not quite a Tom Wilson-type power forward, but Chernyshov doesn't shy away from the physical stuff either.
Here's what a few public scouts have said about Chernyshov.
"He's not going to run players over with his physical play, but he uses his body to create offense. He has the ability to control play at even strength due to his variety of tools and looks the part of a potential strong top-six winger in the NHL." - Corey Pronman, The Athletic
"He’s a big, strong winger and modern power-forward type who plays a straight-line game and has the individual skill and quick release to go at defenders and make plays off the rush, or finish from the slot with a quick, one-touch shot in zone. He’s a smooth skater, too, which complements his impressive rush game." - Scott Wheeler, The Athletic
"A hard-working player with physicality and structure, Chernyshov is a smart forechecker who constantly looks to pressure opponents when they have the puck. When he has possession, he invites contact and bounces off opponents to create space." - TONY FERRARI, The Hockey News
A big player with offensive upside, why would he be available to the Kings at 21?
Well, that upside may mean he won't be available, however, he's falling around the late teens and early twenties in most mock drafts.
But, there are also a few reasons to believe he will be on the board at 21.
Firstly, the Russian factor. Some teams are still hesitant to draft players out of Russia right now, and the Kings haven't drafted a Russian forward since Kirill Kirsanov in 2021, a player who still hasn't come over.
Chernyshov's contract in the KHL only runs through the 2024-25 season though, so there's a little less risk in drafting him.
Outside of the Russian factor, he also has a few holes in his game. On the forecheck and with the puck on his stick, Chernyshov is a high-motor player. In the defensive zone and away from the puck, that motor dies down a little bit.
Offensively, there are a lot of tools to like, but he also lacks a defining trait. He's got a good shot with a decent release, but it isn't elite, he's a good skater for his size but nothing more and shows good hands and vision but isn't a pure playmaker.
Right now, he's a good at everything great at nothing type of offensive player and sometimes that doesn't translate to the next level.
Fortunately for Chernyshov, he has a big frame he can fill out which should alleviate some of those concerns and could turn something like his shot into a real weapon.
I see some rhymes to Adrian Kempe's game, although he isn't an elite skater like Kempe, a hard-working, skilled forward who's willing to play with a little sandpaper.
I wouldn't project 40-goal or point-per-game seasons for Chernyshov, but there's top-six potential there, likely as more of a complementary piece.
If he's available at 21, the Kings should snap him up, he would be my number-one choice here, assuming someone doesn't fall out of the top 10-15 into the Kings' lap.