The next entry on the draft board is Nikita Artamonov, a 5'11″ forward from Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in the KHL. Playing in 23 games with Torpedo and recording 7 goals and 16 assists, Artamonov has been quite productive playing against men with his high motor style of play.
As we noted with Andrew Basha, high motor players like Artamonov often fill the back half of the first round. Artamonov has the skill to match his intensity, making him the kind of quality player most GMs would want in their middle six. He's a nuisance in all three zones and an absolute pain on the forecheck, so let's take a closer look.
Pre-draft rankings
#34 in The Athletic (Scott Wheeler)
Elite Prospects No. 25
#34 by TSN (Bob McKenzie)
#23 by Daily Faceoff
statistics
What did you like about it?
As mentioned above, there's nothing more likeable than Artamonov's relentless style of play: he consistently gets his hands on pucks he shouldn't, exploits opponents' mistakes, and imposes his will on the forecheck. He's not a phenomenal skater, but he's a smart one and is almost always in the right place at the right time.
Artamonov had 23 points in 54 games, a pretty high scoring rate for an 18-year-old in the KHL, which is somewhat odd considering his skill set. He isn’t particularly good in any area of the game – passing, skating, shooting – but he is exceptionally smart and seems to make things happen when he’s on the ice. There are some questions about Artamonov, specifically whether his skating and shooting can take another leap, but his ability to handle the game at a high level in the KHL should be an indicator of a decent NHL player regardless of how else he plays. Even more impressive is that Artamonov played the bottom six minutes with the Torpedo, indicating that Artamonov wasn’t even given a chance to thrive. Regardless of that fact, Artamonov posted a high scoring rate and established himself as a first-round level prospect.
The only skill where Artamonov looks to be above average is his passing ability, which is highlighted in the clip below. Artamonov shows glimpses of deceptive pucks on his stick, creating space for a teammate by holding onto the puck for a split second longer than expected (see the 0:40 mark). He's also very good on the lunges, timing his passes precisely to land on teammates who are on tape in high-danger areas.
What's not to like?
Artamonov's biggest weakness is his shooting, which is expected to be average at best at the NHL level. He's not very good with wrist shots or slap shots, so he can't be relied on as a weapon every game. He could still be a fun middle-six player given his passing ability and high hockey IQ, but it's questionable how much of Artamonov's higher level results depend on his shooting being NHL-average.
While Artamonov's on-ice instincts are able to mask some of his skating shortcomings, some scouts worry about the technical aspects of Artamonov's stride and whether it could hold him back at the NHL level. While many project Artamonov as a high-intensity, lethal player, we often envision a smoother skater who has a fair amount of speed when entering the zone on the forecheck. Artamonov hasn't always been that effective, relying more on strong positioning and hard work than anything else. It will be interesting to see if Artamonov is just as effective in North America, where it's a much tougher challenge to outmaneuver opponents in any given match.
How will he fit into the Flyers' system?
Not only does Artamonov fit the Flyers' system, he's also a player that fans love. Every system needs players who can contribute to a troublesome middle six, and Artamonov is that player. With the Flyers' power kill, it's easy to see Artamonov sliding into a penalty kill unit and being a nuisance for Brad Shaw. Definitely an intriguing choice.
Can the Flyers really get him?
Artamonov would definitely be the Flyers' pick of choice in Florida. Artamonov hasn't been getting much attention and mock drafts seem pretty consistent with the forward being ranked in the mid to late 20s. It seems reasonable to see the forward being selected as high as 31st or 32nd overall. I wouldn't be surprised at all considering the Flyers are relatively comfortable with drafting Russian players.
Scouts' Statements
“Artamonov finished the season strong after being demoted to the MHL after a full-fledged role with the Torpedo in the KHL. As expected, he thrived on offense at that level, especially with his own finishing, scoring six goals in 11 games. The highlight of his game remains his tenacious work ethic. Likewise, he uses his inside body positioning and decisive stick check to outmaneuver and peel off opponents along the boards. He is a consistent threat away from the puck, as he processes the game at high speed and knows when and where to exploit open space in the offensive zone. He has shown slight improvement in his skating in the second half of the season, which is an area where he can improve further. His projections are similar, but there are others in this range who have better end-of-season performances that have surpassed him.”
Graham Montgomery, DobberProspects
“Artamonov has great handling skills, but on his bad days he puts too much force on the bag and tries to turn everything into a one-on-one situation, overhandling the puck and turning it over in the process. He has had some impressive passing performances, but he also attempted a number of low-percentage passes to the slot with little success. However, these bad days are almost inevitable for a prospect at his age playing at such a high level.”
Artamonov's NHL success will depend on his intelligence, passing ability, motor and two-way reliability. These are areas he should work on as much as he can. Improving his skating would also improve his chances of playing and succeeding, but it remains to be seen how feasible that is, considering he is a much older draft pick this year and already looks quite developed physically.
Still, Artamonov's predictable skill set gives him the potential to be at least a top-nine player in the NHL, and he could be even better if he adds more dynamic qualities to his game.”
Elite Prospect Draft Guide
Welcome to the poll…
Next up is EJ Emery, a RHD junior who looks and is a very good defenseman, but may not be able to score at an NHL level.
“While his offense is not a natural, he has made enough progress in seeing the ice and moving the puck to make up for his other two-way professional qualities. Emery has the ability to dominate the ice defensively (though scouts sometimes wish he was a bit meaner and tougher) and continues to show growth in his puck handling and transportation (especially in transition). He also has a very thin frame that obviously has a lot of room for growth, so he can continue to take big steps in his development (my understanding is that he works hard, eats a lot, trains a lot, but his metabolism eats it up fast). He has been the best pure defender in the program this year, but I think his man-to-man defense in the defensive zone (which is a strength!) needs more honing and a bit of urgency at times. He has beautiful skating and can quickly dive into his pace or sprint when he needs to pull away. He has a good disruptive stick and feet defending the rush and breaks up a lot of plays in zone and transition with his timing and reads. He has shown he can be more composed and physically imposing at times (he looks skinny but is pretty strong so it will be interesting to see where this goes). He also blocks shots. And while his skill level is not a strength, he has shown good instincts on when to jump into the play and was a little more expected in terms of counting stats this season. Also, the way he defends and skates projects him to be an effective 5-on-5 defender and potential penalty killer. Emery grew up and is in British Columbia, his mother is Canadian but his father is American, and he has chosen the college path from the NTDP to attend the University of North Dakota where he will have good instruction. It will take time and patience for him to develop better qualities in his game and become more consistent and powerful on both sides of the puck, but for me he is definitely a late 1st to early 2nd round pick and had a great run at the U18 Worlds during his draft season. I would put him in the 20s. “I've considered ranking them in the top 10. I'm not entirely confident yet, but their improved offensive power makes everything possible.”
Scott Wheeler, The Athletic
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