3. Viktor Neuchev, LW, Avto Yekaterinburg, MHL, 6’2″, 165 lbs, (61g: 40g, 67p), Rounds 3-7.
From one Russian who will likely fall due to his passport to another. Viktor Neuchev is a highly-skilled forward who tore up the MHL with very little support from his teammates this season. As his statline suggests, Neuchev is a goalscorer, and perhaps due to the lower quality of his teammates he was a volume shooter this season, shooting from poor angles and looking off passing options to simply get the puck on net.
However, when he did choose to pass, he demonstrated an intriguing playmaking toolkit built on his natural deceptive ability with the puck on his stick. His threat as a shooter also opened up many playmaking options for him this season, something he will need to take increased advantage of in the future. But his shot is a legitimate weapon, he gets the puck off his stick extremely quickly and is a one-timer threat on the power play.
Viktor Neuchev is a very talented prospect with elite puck skills and agility. He can carve his way through tight areas with ease.
— Ben Misfeldt (@BBMHockey) January 14, 2022
He has 40 points (23G/17A) in 41 GP this season, 10 more than any teammate. I like him as an early 2nd round option. #2022NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/FEx4zWFDS8
What makes Neuchev electrifying, however, is his play off the rush. He attacks with speed as the above clip demonstrates. His hands are above average and keep up at this high speed. But these skills are made especially effective by his diverse and dynamic rush patterns with the puck, switching fluidly between lanes, often entering by an outside lane and cutting to the middle inside the offensive zone.
He also has a fallback game. He plays with a high degree of intensity in the offensive zone as a forechecker, consistently pressuring puck carriers and forcing mistakes. This intensity does not carry over to the defensive zone, where he is typically static and a non-factor, but that can be coached, as the intensity is consistently present. Even if his game of skill, speed, and scoring doesn’t bring him to a top-9 role in the NHL, he has a key ability that will make him a valuable piece on a fourth line, mitigating the risk in selecting him.
As with the two previous names, the Canadiens need to add more skilled and high-upside players to their system, and the draft in which they have 14 picks is the one to take those big swings. Neuchev is certainly a swing, and I’d be very happy to see him enter the fold in the Canadiens prospect pool on July 8.