The Carolina Hurricanes have selected Russian centerman Ivan Ryabkin with the 62nd overall pick.
The 5-foot-11, 205lb forward had 19 goals and 30 points in 27 games with the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL, his first season in North America.
The prior season, he was one of the most dominant players in the Russian Junior League with 24 goals and 58 points in 44 games.
While his production certainly dipped this year, scout are still high on the raw talent that Ryabkin possesses and also the bite in his game.
However, there were also a lot of red flags that came up at the Draft Combine for the Russian in terms of his conditioning and interviews, but there's just so much potential upside due to his offensive skillset and solid size.
But the Canes were wiling to take the risk with their third second-round pick of the draft and it could be one that pays off in the long haul.
The Hockey News had the Russian ranked 22nd overall.
"He’s a wild card,” one scout told THN. “I don’t think he was in the best shape when he got here, but he’s highly skilled, and he can make plays as well as anyone. The talent package is good. He just needs to do a better job on his body.”
Another scout: “He’s a smart forward with a good stick, and he’s skilled. He certainly should be at the top of the USHL draft class.”
Carolina Hurricanes 2025 Draft Class
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