RUSSIA: Marat Khusnutdinov, C, SKA-1946 St. Petersburg, MHL (2020)

Marat Khusnutdinov is a promising prospect with some interesting intangibles and with a bright future in front of him. That said, there is a big “if” to his projections. While his technique, skating, mobility, and puck skills are at a very high level, the same can’t be said about the rest of his play. He is still very raw and needs some quality coaching to develop his physical game and his understanding of the game off the puck. The team that selects him will be gambling on his considerable upside, and will have to expect to be patient to see him actualize it all.

ORNSKOLDSVIK, SWEDEN - APRIL 28: Russias Marat Khusnutdinov #28 shoots the puck during gold medal game action against Sweden at the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at Fjallraven Center on April 28, 2019 in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden. (Photo by Steve Kingsman/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Skating: A very good skater with rapid strides and agile movements, Khusnutdinov displays excellent skating abilities that helps him in making good maneuvers with the puck, especially in the offensive zone. He can avoid hits and checks with his foot movement and can command the game while in possession of the puck. He is not too fast, but some added strength could help him add a few more points in this department. Grade: 55

Shot: Khusnutdinov has an okay shot for a center prospect, but can do better. He has scored enough goals at the junior level, but has to work on his shooting abilities – strength and release in particular – to be more effective in the more demanding pro game. He is a puck-playing forward, so while his shooting is not his forte, it is also not something that lets him down a lot. Grade: 50

Skills: His soft hands and stick handling ability allow Khusnutdinov to be a force with the puck. As with many Russian players, he likes to play the puck and is perfectly at home with the puck on his blade, where he can command the play and start to create scoring chances. He plays the puck very well – especially when it comes to passing – and can find his teammates in the offensive zone. Grade: 55

Smarts: Khusnutdinov is a strong playmaker with a good sense of the flow of the game. However, he still plays a “junior” style, trying to take the game on by himself and sometimes not making the best decisions. He has excellent potential, but needs additional coaching and more experience to also improve his defensive game. While he makes a good effort off the puck, he is sometimes out of position. Grade: 55

Physicality: He is not a physical player and is not overly big, but he is not usually out of the play when things get tough thanks to his skating and mobility. He needs to be stronger on his feet and to bulk up in general to gain some strength, balance, and greater physical awareness. Grade: 55

Overall Future Projection (OFP): 53.5

A note on the 20-80 scale used above. 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.