2008 NHL Entry Draft: Europeans
Top 10 Skaters
#1 Nikita Filatov, LW, CSKA 3 RUS 2
Filatov is a speedy Russian with great offensive talent who is willing to play an aggressive physical style despite his 5'11” size. Filatov's current contract is up at the end of the year so he should avoid the type of transfer agreement problems that have caused other Russian prospects to plummet in past drafts (see Alexi Cherepanov). He has already expressed an interest in traveling to North America immediately to play. His transition should be an easy one- his mother is an English teacher and he speaking the language as skillfully as he plays hockey.
#2 Kirill Petrov, RW, Kazan RUS
Petrov has the size to be an NHL power forward and many project him to have the offensive talent to put up good numbers. His stats were modest this year, but he played in the top professional Russian league. Petrov caught several scouts' eyes when he put up more than a point per game during the 2008 World Junior Championships.
#3 Mattias Tedenby, LW, HV 71 SWE
You can't teach speed and Tedenby has plenty. He also displays a good deal of offensive creativity and stick handling skills. At 5'9” he's a bit on the smaller side and Tedenby will need to add some muscle to his frame and improve his defense if he wants to perform at the NHL level.
#4 Erik Karlsson, D, Frolunda SWE JUN
There are a lot of good defensemen available in the draft this year but none may be as pure an offensive defenseman as Karlsson. On his way to collecting the Best Defenseman award at the 2008 World Juniors, he piled up the most points and the best plus-minus rating of any blueliner in the tournament. He is an absolute terror on the power play. Unfortunately, like many defensemen of his ilk, you may also feel absolute terror watching him play in your defensive zone. Karlsson will need to seriously improve his defense and bulk up for the pro game but it wouldn't be surprising to see a team in need of a power play quarterback snatch him up.
#5 Anton Gustafsson, C, Frolunda SWE JUN
Gustafsson is a well-rounded player with some possible upside. At 6'1” he's got decent size but scouts think he skates well enough for the NHL. His offensive numbers aren't overpowering but he seems like a player who could pitch in some goals and may improve with time. The strongest part of his game are his defensive reliability and his aggressive physical play.
#6 Roman Josi, D, Bern, SUI
Bern is the type of two-way defenseman that a coach can count on in any situation. His offensive skills aren't dazzling but he's put up respectable numbers for Bern and has a power play-worthy slapshot. He had an impressive showing at the World Juniors where he put up five points for the Swiss team.
#7 Viktor Tikhonov, RW, Cherepovets RUS
Tikhonov is a 20-year-old who was passed over in last year's draft. He has good size and is willing to work in the corners to make plays. He also displays accountability in his own zone. His offensive skills netted him seven points and the Best Forward honors at the Under 20 World Junior Championships. However, some scouts appear to be concerned about his overall speed.
#8 Vjatslav Voinov, D, Cheljabinsk, RUS
Voinov is a no-frills type of defenseman, but the numbers don't lie, and Vionov was a dependable plus player for Cheljabinsk in the Russian Super League this season. While his offensive abilities were enough to quarterback the powerplay effectively in junior, some scouts question if he has what it takes to score at the next level.
#9 Evgeny Grachev, C, Yaroslav 2 RUS
Many people feel that Grachev has the potential to be one of the big sleepers in this year's draft. He has everything it takes to be a top line NHL player- size, speed, strength, and soft-hands. He just needs to put it all together and learn to add some consistency.
#10 Dmitri Kugryshev, RW, CSKA 3 RUS 2
Kugryshev is a prospect in need of a bit of polish. He isn't a pure scorer but he is hard to knock off of the puck and drives from the boards to the net well. He isn't a glitzy passer, but Kugryshev does display some creativity in advancing the puck through center ice. Most scouts would agree that his skating needs work, as he lacks the ability to breakaway from defensemen even at his current level. His proponents think that he can improve in most of these categories but it may be a while before he's NHL ready.
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