[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Nyet, Nyet, Soviet Edition):

You would think there would be more chatter surrounding a mean, physical 6'3", 214lb center, with a late birthday (June 17th), and producing over a ppg in Russia's top junior league. Such is the case for LHC Daniil Anatsky, who was third in scoring for SKA-Yunior Krasnogorsk, a team that failed to make the MHL playoffs, with 18 goals and 43 points (and 42 PIM) in 41 games. He was tied for 33rd in the league for points, 5th for U-18 players, over such names as Graf, Luttsev, Dontsov, and Frolov. I've been keeping tabs on him for most of the year, waiting for him to start showing up more prominently in mock drafts and other general discussion, but he remains largely on the outside looking in for the draft.

Why haven't we heard more about him? Apparently, his skating is bad enough to keep him out of the NHL, and it looks like he most likely won't be drafted- his form is clunky, his stride is weak, and he has poor footwork. It's more than just that though- he also plays without pace, which will severely hamper his effectiveness in higher leagues. He isn't able to drive play, and waits too long to make passes, holding on to the puck for much longer than he should. He's quite often the trailer on rushes, not necessarily by choice, and is opportunistic in charging up the middle and attacking the net to finish plays that his linemates tee up for him. Luckily for him, his hands and long reach give him infallible puck-protection, and his stickhandling is one of his better assets- he skates with his head up to scan, and handles smoothly while doing so. Anatsky wields top-notch vision and IQ, with constant awareness of his surroundings, and sound hockey sense; he sees the ice well and knows where his teammates will be proactively. He flashes legit high-end playmaking, and is a sublime problem-solver on the fly. There's plenty of deception in his passing game, and he can thread the needle through traffic. As said above, he's highly opportunistic in being at the right place, at the right time to put the put the puck in the net, with soft hands in-close, and a penchant for crashing the crease, looking for rebounds and second-chance opportunities. His shot is said to need to a bit of work in terms of power, but he needs more deception and manipulation in his release to be successful going forward.

Anatsky is a physical power-forward, and is a little nasty, with a punchable face and the ability to agitate opponents. He can be a one-man wrecking crew, and dominate with his size and strength, but his physicality is inconsistent. He will go the front of the net to cause havok, where he's hard to move, and drives his opponents nuts. He's far from being a defensive stalwart at this point, but will contribute with bodychecks to dislodge pucks, and with his long reach. Anatsky is unlikely to hear his name called at this year's draft, but if he does, he will be a long-term project for the team that selects him, with plenty of special attention to his mobility.