Ilia Morozov Scouting Report
#18 C, Ilia Morozov
Team: Miami Ohio
Height/Weight: 6-3 205 lbs
Shoots: Left
DOB: August 3, 2008.
Overview: Ilia Morozov was a center on the Tri-City Storm. He enrolled at Miami Ohio after his time in the USHL and became the first line center on the Miami Ohio Redhawks hockey team. He uses his size to take up the middle of the ice giving him more opportunities to make plays on both offense and defense. He uses his big body to win battles which takes pressure off of his wingers.
Strengths:
IQ: He has the intelligence to dominate both offensively and defensively. He has the offensive awareness and the defensive awareness.
Passing: Ilia Morozov has the playmaking you covet. Gets the puck open to teammates with ease.
Shooting: Ilia Morozov has the wrist shot power, wrist shot accuracy, slap shot power, and slap shot accuracy you want. I saw him score on a variety of shots when watching his college tape. He is one of the more precise shooters in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
Checking: Will knock you on your rear end if he hits you with enough velocity. Morozov will trap you if he has you cornered near the glass.
Face Offs: Morozov wins over 50 percent of his face offs. He can play all three zones.
Weaknesses:
Point Production: Ilia Morozov has 7 goals, 10 assists, and 17 points with a +4 +/- ratio. He led Miami Ohio in points after the first month, but now ranks ninth on Miami Ohio in points. He also received a B grade from NHL Central Scouting instead of an A grade. Traits wise he has everything you want in a first round center. His point production and B grade from NHL Central Scouting are the only two things keeping him out of the first round.
Projection: Ilia Morozov has the floor of a third line center in the NHL and the ceiling of a first line center. I would say his floor is Dylan Holloway and his ceiling is Wyatt Johnston in terms of player comparisons. I believe Ilia Morozov will be an effective second line center on the top six when he is done with his development. I like him more than Adam Valentini, but less than Landon Nycz. He is a solid player that does not have a massive weakness. His stride when skating is a little bit choppy, but other than that he is a pretty well rounded 200 foot player. He does not have a dominant trait that would give him a 9 or a 10 in skater rankings. He does have solid, but not spectacular grades in terms of his skater rankings. He also has good size for an NHL center.
Skater Ratings:
Skating: 6
Puck Skill: 7
Scoring Ability: 7
Playmaking Ability: 8
Hockey Sense/IQ: 7
Character: 7
Physicality: 7
Defensive Play: 7