[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Sir Yatsky Edition):

LHD Alexander Siryatsky made two debuts this season in Russia, with Stalnye Lisy of Russia's junior league (MHL), and had a three-game audition in the KHL with Mettalurg Magnitogorsk. Obviously, with Siryatsky being only 17 years old (quite young with an August 4th birthday), his game in each respective league was much different with the disparity in competition between the two, but his mature defensive game in the KHL got rave reviews with some saying that looked like he had been playing in that league for years, though he had no points through 3 games. Siryatsky plays more of a two-way game in the MHL, and those who watch him regularly say his offensive creativity is getting better all the time, as he gains more confidence. In 36 games with Stalnye Lisy he posted 5 goals and 19 points which, for a defenseman in the MHL, is not too shabby- even if that defenseman plays 20-plus minutes (often reportedly up to 26 minutes) as Siryatsky does. He was able to add 4 points in 6 playoff games, with 27 penalty-minutes on the side, before his team was eliminated. This young man, who by the way stands 6'2" and weighs 159lbs, is seeing his stock go up by leaps and bounds, congruent with how his game has grown throughout the year.

Siryatsky says he watches and tries to emulate Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes, and while he might not measure up to them right now, he looks like he's been taking lessons from them in how to carry the puck up the ice with calmness and composure. He can move through and around layers of bodies, even going coast-to-coast at times, with his smooth stickhandling and his mastery of deception in the form of feints, head fakes, rapid changes of speed and direction, stops and starts, and dekes and dangles. Mobility wise, he's very fast and fluid with excellent acceleration and a good short-burst- he will only get faster as he gets stronger. Though he may not be elite in the speed department, his edges are extremely strong and smooth and enable him to move easily in tight spaces. His creativity is still a work in progress, but he's already a quality puck-mover who is always looking to advance the play, preferring shorter and simpler passes, or give-and-go's to get the job done. With his team installed in the offensive zone, he walks the line seamlessly to open lanes and manipulate opponents- he distributes well from the point position with crisp, accurate passes, and keeps pucks alive and deep. Unless it's the powerplay, he doesn't seem to activate into the play at all- this could be a coaching issue too, or a team system thing. He will step up to keep plays alive though, and pinch up the boards in performance of this task. He has playmaking potential, and takes a few more risks at the MHL level, where he's getting better and better all the time at making plays. His shot isn't very threatening unfortunately, and he wields it mostly as a playmaking tool to facilitate rebound opportunities for teammates. Siryatsky plays a cerebral game in all three zones, and employs a highly intelligent off-puck game, skating the right routes and finding the proper position to be in to make himself playable.

The hype is real- Siryatsky plays a nearly immaculate game in his own zone, and makes a huge impact on the game defensively. He's a very mature defender, and doesn't cheat the game- he's usually the last man to leave the zone, and the first one back. He's well-developed defensively, elite for his age group, and understands that preventing goals comes first, offense second. He has acute awareness and an ability to read the play and process quickly, while keeping his feet moving and staying active. He anticipates what's coming, then reacts proactively, killing the play early before it even unfolds. He exerts tight gap control, and closes quickly on puck-carriers using a smart stick to poke-check, or strip opponents of the puck. Siryatsky has a long reach as well, and is disruptive down-low and in front of his net. He is quick in identifying his man, and will stick to him like glue. He stood out defensively and racked up stops in limited ice-time in the KHL, playing simple, risk-free hockey without trying to do much offensively. He plays superb defense at his opponents' blueline, intercepting breakouts and keeping pucks alive, snuffing rushes before they even leave the zone. There's good value here in transition as well, with his ability to stretch the ice or make outlets in full flight, and he completes impressive retrievals using deception to give himself time and space. He scans cautiously and quickly, and exhibits patience in the way he waits for his teammates to get set up before sending his outlet up ice.

In the one game I watched him play, he made a few unlucky mistakes. Firstly, at one point he pinched to keep the play alive but fanned on the puck, and because he was in flight, he went past the puck which resulted in a catastrophic 2-on-1 goal against, as he left his partner hanging out to dry. Secondly, he whiffed on a breakout pass from the corner, sending the puck right to the slot where an oncoming attacker was streaking in alone, for a dangerous chance-against. Siryatsky has been criticized for holding on to the puck for too long at times, trying to find the perfect pass, which can result in the sudden loss of real estate in which to operate. When he bulks up and gets stronger, he will be a beast, and nearly impossible to go up against. This kid is amazing to watch, and flashes huge potential, but needs to keep developing his shot, skating, and offense. He's good enough to get third-round consideration, but I think he'll go in the fourth round.