Draft Thoughts (Titanium Edition):
Left-handed winger Maxim Velikov had first-round buzz coming in to the 2023-24 season, but didn't play at a level deserving of an NHL team's top pick, unfortunately. There could be many reasons for this, one being that he plays on a fairly talent-laden forward group for Krasniya Armiya Moskva of the MHL, and has been seemingly relegated to the supporting cast for parts of the season. There hasn't been much progression in his numbers from last season to this one, as his 19 points in 32 games in 2022-23 converts to 0.59 ppg, and his 28 points in 43 games this season represents an incrementally higher 0.65 ppg. One would expect much more growth for a potential first-rounder, with his points total being 7th on the team. Velikov has size at 6'1",198lbs, plays both wings with equal proficiency, and still holds a ton of promise despite failing to live up to expectations this year.
Though he's a complimentary winger at this point, and probably will be going forward, Velikov is a highly-skilled, all-situations winger who is a dual threat on offense. His 28 points are split evenly between goals and assists, at 28 on each side. He possesses high-end hockey sense, and produces offense with his slick passing game, and goal-scorer's mentality. Velikov exhibits patience and poise in his playmaking, slowing down the play to scan for the best option, and finding his teammates in high-danger consistently. He can connect on difficult plays, and isn't afraid to try things as they usually work out for him- he's got smarts and vision. One can often find him sneaking around the net, hunting for rebounds in pockets of open space, and he will attack the middle at opportune times to shoot. He has a bullet of a wrister with a lightning-quick release to fool goalies and pick corners with, but he also changes the angle of his blade to disguise the release point of his shot for an extra layer of deception. He has sublime hands, with a wide array of moves to deke goalies out of their jockstraps, and many of his tallies are of the highlight-reel variety. Though his feet could use a bit more explosiveness, he exerts a long, powerful stride with a top-end speed that allows him to flat-out fly up the ice. He's strong on his skates, and hard to knock off stride, with solid edgework to turn quickly and pivot on a dime.
Velikov has quick hands to match his quick feet, and is a skilled handler with tight puck-protection and the 1-on-1 skills to move through traffic with the puck on a string. He can also power through checks, and lean into defenders to leverage his way around. He's poised and confident with the puck, even under duress, and has no problem rushing the puck through transition for clean entries. Admirably, Velikov plays a polished, mature defensive game with the high-end anticipation to proactively shut down the rush before it even gets to the blueline. In the zone, he positions himself well to be able to intercept passes, shut down lanes, and cause turnovers. He is able to smother his man and remove him as a passing option. The big detriment in his game is that when he slows down the play on the rush, he stops moving his feet and tends to glide in with the puck- he won't be able to play this way in the NHL, and he absolutely must learn to push the pace, and play at top speed. Too often, he plays on the perimeter and needs to upgrade his work-ethic and intensity. Velikov can be inconsistent in-game, but he can also go through long droughts without points for several games. There's top end talent here though, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him get taken in the third, or fourth round.
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