There is just one more day until the draft and we are approaching the end of our profile series. Although the Canucks have no hope in drafting Andrei Svechnikov, find out why he could be the next deadly sniper in the NHL.
Perception is a funny thing. Andrei Svechnikov started the year in the number two slot in everyone’s rankings. And he should have stayed there the entire time. But then the World Juniors happened. I normally break down tournaments in the next section, but I feel it’s important to bring up now.
In Buffalo, Svechnikov played well, picking up five points in as many games. However, Brady Tkachuk had nine points in seven games and Filip Zadina had eight points in the same number of games. But context is key. Tkachuk played 22 minutes a game with Casey Mittelstadt and Zadina also enjoyed prime minutes on his team.
Svechnikov was buried in the third line, playing less than 14 minutes a game. Maybe the coach thinks he wasn’t good enough. Then again, coaches do dumb things. Just look at the last two bench bosses of the Vancouver Canucks.
Despite that, several services catapulted Tkachuk and Zadina up and bumped Svechnikov down. Funny how an entire season readjusts the rankings at the top correctly. Let that be a lesson as to why you don’t let small sample sized tournaments sway your opinion. Svechnikov stands far and above his peers at forward and perceives the ice better than anyone else in this draft. Well, almost anyone else.
The stats rundown
*Counting stats provided by EliteProspects
Height: 191 cm/6’3″
Weight: 85 kg/187 lbs
Birthdate: March 26, 2000
Position: Right Wing
Handedness: Left
Team (league): Barrie Colts (OHL)
Rankings:
#1 by NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING (NA)
#2 by Cam Robinson (Dobber Prospects)
| GP | G | A | P |
| 44 | 40 | 32 | 72 |
Alright, Svechnikov was injured earlier this year. He was also suspended towards the end of the season, which didn’t help the Colts in the playoffs. With that said, what Andrei Svechnikov did was nothing short of remarkable. 72 points is a pretty good season for an OHL forward. Although, most of those forwards play around 68 games to hit that total.
Svechnikov played eight games in the postseason after his suspension, picking up 11 points in eight games. Comparing him to his peers in the OHL, Svechnikov scored the eight most goals in the league. Remember, he only played 44 games. Not too shabby.
The kid is a shot machine, producing an estimated 10.77 shots per hour at even strength. Barrie was a great team (second highest GF% in the OHL), but Svechnikov still had a relative GF% of 9.31. The Colts relied on him heavily for offence and he delivered.
Scouting reports
More from Draft
- Recapping the Canucks picks from rounds five to seven
- Canucks take Daimon Gardner in fourth round
- Canucks select Elias Pettersson in third round
- Canucks select Jonathan Lekkerimäki with 15th overall pick
- Five players the Canucks could draft with the 15th overall pick
Bob McKenzie, TSN:
"“If you want to know the truth,” one scout said, “Svechnikov may be closer to Dahlin for No. 1 than the rest of the field is to Svechnikov.” (…)Svechnikov has size, speed and skill. He can play a power game or a finesse game, make plays or score goals any way they can be scored – off the rush, one timers from far out, getting his nose dirty in front of the net or off the cycle.As Russians go, Svechnikov is well acclimated to the North American game and life, having lived with his mother in Muskegon and Barrie for the past two years. He’s not absolutely fluent in speaking or understanding English but he more than gets by."
J.D. Burke, CanucksArmy:
"I don’t claim this often, but Svechnikov excels in every relevant department for a dominant offensive forward. His shot? It’s great. The release is deceptive, and it’s a hard, heavy shot that he often fires from all over the ice. His vision? Exceptional. He can find holes in the opposition defence and exploit them at his will. His skating? Couldn’t ask for anything better. Svechnikov has excellent speed, balance and edges, and when he uses them to drive the net, there isn’t any stopping him.One of my favourite qualities to Svechnikov’s game is the way he’s able to score from any position (he played a fair amount of the season down the middle) and from any spot in the offensive zone."
What we think
Svechnikov is an incredible player. He is an excellent mix of those three things McKenzie mentioned: size, speed and skill. Like Rasmus Dahlin, he will step into the NHL next year. His game is impressive, from his shot, to his skating and elite level of intelligence.
I’m very interested by the potential power game that he can play and his potential just screams first line winger. Coming from someone who is a big fan of Brock Boeser‘s game, I would absolutely put someone like Svechnikov ahead of him.
Next: 2018 NHL draft profile #3: Filip Zadina
I think we are seeing one of the next great players in this league and I am envious that the Carolina Hurricanes are going to add Svechnikov to their core. His play is so dynamic and fun to watch. Honestly, I would say he is one of the purest goal-scorers in this draft. Everyone is looking for impact players in the top 10, and someone like Svechnikov is as surefire impact player.