5 Players The Canadiens Would Be Wise To Target After Round 1 Of NHL Draft
2. Vladimir Grudinin, LD, Krasnaya Moskva, MHL, 5’10”, 159 lbs, (18g: 2g, 13p), Rounds 2-7.
From one undersized left-shot defenceman to another, just to make sure the points listed to start Hutson’s profile remain in your recent memory. Like Hutson, Grudinin knows how to play under pressure and has a high level of skill. Unlike Hutson, Grudinin’s defensive play is a legitimate strength and he is quite able to play on the right side of defence as well.
The uncertainty in his draft range is primarily due to his nationality. If he were Canadian, he’d be a surefire top-75 player on draft day, if not top-50. But as a result of Russia’s recent international politics and the heightened chance of Putin shutting the borders for outgoing citizens, or just athletes, Russian players are guaranteed to slip far on draft day this year. Grudinin’s agent, Dan Milstein, has, however, been vocally against the invasion of Ukraine and is very active in trying to convince his clients of moving to North America to pursue their careers, so there may be less risk in this regard with Grudinin and Gleb Trikozov.
As a player, Grudinin is electrifying. I haven’t watched a player in the 2022 class who can match his four-way mobility, Grudinin’s skating is smoothness exemplified. His skating is mechanically refined and he uses crossovers to great effect to build up speed. Grudinin is an excellent puck-mover with a strong sense of space and timing. He doesn’t just play well when pressured by opposing defenders, he thrives off of it, drawing them in and exploiting the space they vacated to send a pass onto the stick of a teammate.
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His hands and brain more than keep up with his feet, as well. He is an able activator from the blueline, where he uses his playmaking ability to cut through defences. His offensive ceiling is certainly lower than Hutson’s, but it is not insignificant.
His primary value comes in transition and in the defensive zone, however. The breakout ability is built upon the skating and passing abilities I outlined, while his defence is built upon his aggressiveness and intelligence. He maintains a suffocating gap in transition and his understanding of spacing and timing translates to the defensive side of the puck, with a high degree of defensive awareness.
While much of this skill was displayed in the MHL, which is a league notorious for its lack of defensive systems and ability, his style of play remained relatively consistent and effective in his KHL appearances this season. Grudinin would be a very good pick in the second round, but if he drops to rounds 4, 5, 6, or even 7, he could be an absolute steal, and one the Canadiens would be wise to pounce on.