The 6-foot-4 defenceman will be a name to watch in the KHL for Utah Hockey Club fans looking toward the future.
Patience has been preached throughout the Utah Hockey Club's rebuild by general manager Bill Armstrong, even as the club loads up assets.
Some of those assets are getting their chance to be in the NHL in year one (see Tij Iginla), while some are closing in on their opportunities to join the big boys.
One of them is defenceman Dmitry Simashev, a defenceman selected 6th overall in 2023 NHL Draft by Arizona whose rights transferred to Utah with the relocation of the team in 2024.
The Russian spent his first few years with the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl youth programs, potting 16 points in 11 appearances with the minor league team in 2020-21 at the mere age of 15.
After spending a year almost exclusively in the minor leagues, scoring 10 points in 29 games, Simashev broke out in 2023-24 as a great defensive blue-liner, with 10 points in 63 games and a +10 rating as a 17-year-old.
The Score's initial report on Simashev confirmed as much, saying "scouts lauded him for his size, mobility, and defensive prowess".
Simashev made an appearance in both prospect development camps in Arizona and in Utah, but will not be able to sign an entry-level deal with Utah until the conclusion of the 2024-25 season.
He will certainly be a prospect to keep tabs on this season to see how he further develops his game.