Vladimir Shtyrkhunov – RHD – Shawinigan Cataracts QMJHL
(25 Sep vs Quebec, 7 Oct vs Victoriaville, 12 Oct vs Newfoundland)
Constantly scanning the ice, making his play decisions seem instinctual yet, are premeditated. This allows him to read pressure early, then use deceptive movements to manipulate forecheckers. With the space he creates, he quickly delivers hard, precise passes and does so in all three zones.
Offensive play is his strength. He is a natural puck-control player. He excels at generating controlled zone exits and entries with quick passes or his own legs. He uses his body, traffic, even the net, to create space for himself. Offensively, he plays an aggressive style, often acting as the fourth forward as he excels at activating from the blue line. He can also walk the line with the puck using his agility and quick first step to create separation. When there is a turnover, he has the speed to recover and defend at this level.
When you look at his game, the first thing that jumps off the page is the sheer dynamic flair when he’s carrying the puck in transition. However, where the concern creeps into the scouting report is when the game slows down on the power play, you can’t just rely on raw speed or direct line-of-attack driving. You’ve got to be a puppet master. You need to manipulate structure, use head fakes and hip shifts to pull penalty killers out of position, and bleed out time to let passing lanes open up naturally. Right now, his instincts lean toward forcing the issue rather than orchestrating the flow. Instead of picking a zone defense apart with patience, subtlety, and vision, he tries to overpower it.
Defensively, he is more of the type of player who defends by keeping the puck in the offensive zone. His instinct is to attack, so in his own zone he will need time to refine his game to build on his ability to mark and defend in one-on-ones. He does well playing a zone defense as it allows him to wander (within limits) but also gives him the ability to block copious amounts of shots. That being said, he uses his edge work to get out of trouble, and has an active stick that takes away time, space and passing lanes. He has strong gap control and can stay in an attacker’s hip pocket, and his compete level is very high, making him very difficult to play against.
He has an NHL-sized frame but needs to fill it out. He is a right-hand shot, and while he is still adjusting to the North American style of game and rink, he has been consistently one of the best players on the ice early this season. Currently projects as a late first-round prospect.
Skating 4.5/5
Puck control 4.5/5
Hockey Sense 4/5
Compete 4/5
Character 3/5