[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Russian Edition, Vol. 11):

RD Maxim Agafonov (6'2",198lbs)
Tolpar Ufa (MHL): 32gp/ 6g/ 7a/ 13pts, -1, 20 PIM
Toros Neftekamsk (VHL): 12gp/ 1g/ 2a/ 3pts, even, 4 PIM

The three big names coming out of Russia for defencemen in this year's draft class are Kurban Limatov, Artyom Vilchinsky, and a steady two-way blueliner by the name of Maxim Agafonov (#17 EU Skaters, #79 by McKenzie, and #49 by Button), who is tied for first overall in scoring by a U-18 player in the VHL- Russia's second-tier league. In the MHL, Russia's top Junior league, he is 9th in scoring (3rd in goals, 6th in ppg) for U-18 defensemen, but doesn't look out of place against older competition in the men's league. Agafonov is a calming, reliable presence on the backend, but has an underrated offensive game, and uses physicality in the course of his duties. He can play in all situations, as well as both sides of special teams. Right now, his main selling-point is his high-end defensive awareness, combined with his pro-style habits, and attention to detail. He is quite active and disruptive, and not only causes a high number of turnovers, but his stellar anticipation allows him to rack up takeaways at an inordinate rate. He protects his net aggressively, identifies oncoming threats quickly, then proactively sets little picks, and ties up sticks proactively. Agafonov exerts immaculate positioning and tight gap control to force plays to the outside, and wields his stick superbly to clog lanes, and poke pucks away from danger.

The second selling point in Agafonov's game is his strong puck-movement and elite passing ability. He reads the play very well, and processes quickly with his solid hockey sense and IQ, but he's not really a creator- he's more of an expeditor, who gets the puck up to his forwards quickly. The passing skill he uses is also high-end, with an inordinately high completion rate on feeds that connect right on the tape with the exact amount of prescribed velocity, although he tends to keep his distribution as safe and simple as possible- he can get into trouble when he tries to force plays, or get too fancy. When he has room, he looks calm and composed on retrievals, but he can be pressured into making mistakes- this is an area that will need improvement. He makes a safe and simple first-pass to kickstart the breakout, and will get involved in transition by connecting plays with short feeds, but he is mostly a quick-touch player and will defer to teammates to carry most of the time. Mobility-wise, he moves smoothly and fluidly, showing sound mechanics, and possessing above-average speed. He is solid on his skates, and hard to knock over- giving him the advantage in physical confrontations. In puck-battles, he wins more than his fair share, and will initiate contact, but he isn't very mean, and relies mostly on his stick and positioning to be effective.

Agafonov is a high-volume shooter, with his shot being his main offensive weapon; it may not be elite in terms of power, but it's hard and heavy enough to cause havok in front of the net, and provide his teammates with opportunities. He uses screens well, has good accuracy, and gets his shot through to the net consistently. He distributes well from the point, and though he isn't afraid tp pinch down low, or to join the rush, he could stand to be more assertive and take more calculated risks. He likes to QB the play from the line, and will jump in only when it's safe to do so, and usually only to keep pucks alive in the zone, as he's often got one foot in his defensive duties. Agafonov has some struggles with his decision-making under pressure, and will need to work on making quicker decisions. He also has to develop another gear in his skating, and improve his shot- but there's two-way potential here. Most of his game is projectable, and he has the ceiling of a second-pairing D with a shutdown presence and an intelligent puck-movement game; but I think he's a pretty safe pick. Look for him in the second, or third round.