Currently leading the Muskegon Lumberjacks in scoring through the early part of the season, Russian born Egor Afanasyev was identified by NHL Central Scouting as a 'B' prospect as a potential second or third round pick. Ryan Wagman provides a detailed scouting report below.
A note on the 20-80 scale used below. We look at five attributes (skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physicality) for skaters and six for goalies (athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling). Each individual attribute is graded along the 20-80 scales, which includes half-grades. The idea is that a projection of 50 in a given attribute meant that our observer believed that the player could get to roughly NHL average at that attribute at maturity
| Egor Afanasyev | 2019 Draft Eligible |
|---|---|
| Position: RW, Shoots L | H/W: 6-3", 205 lbs |
| Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS) | Muskegon Lumberjacks, USHL (9-5-5-10-6) |
Egor Afanasyev. Photo by Hickling Images.
Skating: For a big player, Afanasyev is a fine skater. He will never be accused of being dynamic on his feet, but he has a strong stride, a decent motor, and quick feet. His strength plays up along the boards, as he is very hard to knock off his stride. He does not cheat to help spur the offensive attack, but he gets into position as the F2 in good time. Considering his recent growth – he reportedly grew 2 inches in the last calendar year, he will need continued work to maintain explosiveness in his first few steps. As is, he has the skating prowess to be a strong support option on the offensive attack. Grade: 55
Shot: Afanasyev has a shooting arsenal with the type of power that suits his build. His snapshot is his primary weapon, featuring both power and a quick release. He does a nice job of changing the angle on his shots, too, dragging the puck to adjust the shooting lane, helping him get the puck on the net, instead of into the shin pads of a defender who is blocking the nominal shooting lane. Can also threaten the goalie with a slapshot – standstill or one-timer - or a backhand. Used the latter to score a lovely goal against Chicago, roofing the puck from in tight after waiting out the goalie going down. His numbers over the past few years do not pop off the page due to his having often played against older competition, but he has the tools to score a healthy number of goals. Grade: 60
Skills: A nice puckhandler, Afanasyev does not show off anything that could be mistaken for fancy, although his hand-eye coordination is a frequent highlight to his game. He is masterful at gaining control of bouncing pucks, and his position in front of the net on the power play suggests that he will score plenty on tights and deflections. He can play with his back to the net and feed linemates in advantageous positions in the slot and thereabouts. His patience with the puck, borne from being stronger than most opponents and thus less susceptible of being stripped of the puck, helps him to create rushes and other scoring chances. Grade: 55
Smarts: Afanasyev is essentially a two-zone player. He is a bull in the offensive zone who wants, and generally gets, the puck and has a strong neutral zone game, with his stick serving as a major disruptor. Unfortunately, his game is lacking in his own end. He will backcheck diligently, if not effusively. Once the opposition has set up in his own zone, the big winger can drift in his coverage of the point, as he watches the puck more than his assigned zone. It is no surprise that he is not really used much on the PK. He is rarely heavily involved in puck battles in his own zone, barring those of a pinching defenseman. With the puck, he can slow the game down, to help the play develop on his terms, but is largely unable to dictate the flow when the opponent has the biscuit, excepting passes that are thrown in his reach. Also has a tendency to slide the puck into open space in the neutral zone, a maneuver which often leads to a completely unnecessary turnover. Grade: 50
Physicality: Not one to use his physicality as a weapon (see previous section about his play in the D-zone), Afanasyev is nonetheless able to use his bulk to his benefit. At the USHL level, there are few, if any, who would be a good match for his frame and strength in the corners. He will show occasional bouts of aggression but is by no means a dirty or fearful player. It stands to reason that his recent growth spurt will eventually be incorporated into his overall game, giving him more of a menacing vibe. Grade: 55
Summary: Egor Afanasyev has been playing in North America since he was 15 and is now in his second season as a regular with Muskegon. He is currently one of their top scorers through the first month and change of the season. Unlike the Russian power forward whose spot in the lineup he took over last year (Andrei Svechnikov), Afanasyev is unlikely to move to the OHL (Ottawa has his rights), as he has committed to move to Michigan State next season. He has NHL size and a game that would not look out of place in a middle six role in the NHL in a few years. As mentioned above, there is a good chance that he becomes a more menacing player as he gets accustomed to his growing body, but the main area I would want to see him work on over the course of his draft year is his play in his own zone. If he begins to get more involved off the puck, he can be a true impact player.
Overall Future Projection (OFP) = 55.5