Draft Thoughts (Russian Edition, Vol. 3):
LD Kurban Limatov (6'3",198lbs)
MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL): 38gp/ 7g/ 14a/ 21pts, +10, 32 PIM
Kurban Limatov (ranked #19 for EU Skaters, #69 by McKenzie) is 14th-overall in scoring by D in the MHL, but more impressively- he is 12th-best all-time for points in a season by a U-18 defenseman. The big Russian is a two-way blueliner with a physical game, but he's still quite raw. Limatov has impressive mobility for a big man, with a fluid stride in all directions, though he could use more explosiveness, and a better top-speed. He owns smooth edgework to make quick cuts and sharp turns, and can quickly surf across the ice laterally. He pushes pace with a high workrate and employs some deception in his footwork to be a bit elusive, in the form of feints and shifts of weight. He's a calm and smooth handler who manages the puck well, exhibits solid protection skills, and displays another layer of deception in his hands, with a deep cache of fakes, look-offs, dekes and dangles.
Limatov is blessed with high-end offensive awareness and plus-level playmaking vision. He walks the line effectively to locate open space to fill with activations into the play, or to pry open seams to pass through, and can spot teammates for high-danger passes around the net, or in the slot. He's highly active and covers a ton of ice on every shift, with deep activations off the rush, and frequent pinches into the play as an extra forward. He possesses a hard and heavy shot that he can use to beat goalies from a distance, but he could use more deception in his release, as he gets blocked a lot. Limatov is an excellent puck-mover and distributor, giving him high-value in transition; he can connect plays with short passes, or he can rush the puck through the neutral zone for clean exits and entries on occasion. He's confident and poised with the puck, and his outlet passes have a high success rate- but his retrievals are not as smooth, as he has difficulty with his decision-making when under pressure. In performance of his duties, he employs a physical game, exerts a long reach, and uses his size well- he will throw his weight around to dislodge pucks, and dole out some big hits in open-ice. Against the rush, he shows tight gap-control to seal off entry from oncoming attackers, wields an active stick to disrupt plays, and punctuates these efforts with physicality. He commands a long reach and enormous range to smother his opponents along the boards, and in front of the net.
In his own zone, Limatov's positioning needs some work, and both his instincts and awareness are a bit lacking. He gets caught wandering at times, and looks to be puck-watching too much at other times. He often over-commits to chasing his man, and needs more stability in defensive situations. His forays into the offensive zone can result in him being caught too deep, leaving his partner hanging, which is an indication that his decision-making needs a tune-up- this is also true in regards to situations where he is under pressure from attackers. Limatov has top-4 potential, but he's quite raw, and may need more runway than most. There's a chance he could sneak into the first-round, but it's more likely that he gets taken in the second-round.
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