The Arizona Coyotes decide to select Russian defenseman Dmitri Simashev with the No. 6 overall pick.
The Arizona Coyotes have selected Dimitri Simashev with the sixth overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
The 18-year-old defenseman played 29 games this past season for Loko Yaroslavl of the MHL where he had one goal, nine assists and 10 points.
It was a very interesting pick by Bill Armstrong and the Coyotes as Simashev was the No. 30th ranked prospect by The Hockey News’ Ryan Kennedy.
The Russian native is described to play a strong game in his own end while also having the ability to contribute offensively.
“He’s a breakout wizard, great at escaping pressure with the puck, recovering it along the boards and combining his skating and puck protection to evade incoming pressure; he sniffs out contested pucks and turns them into offensive rushes in an instant,” Gray Matter of Smaht Scouting wrote.
Simashev is expected to play in the KHL for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl next season.