Valeri Nichushkin – Chelyabinsk – 2013 NHL Draft

At only 16 years old, Nichushkin is already a massive 6’3” and uses his size very well. Valeri likes to drive the net hard. While he

does not have great overall skating ability, he does accelerate relatively well and uses this to get things rolling when he decides he wants to rush the puck. Valeri may have one of the better shots in the draft and has an absolute laser that he is not afraid to let go all over the offensive zone. What makes his shot that much more dangerous, is his complete willingness to pass the puck and the fact that he is actually a very good passer, who we have seen set up some nice goals. He handles the puck well along the wall and cycles effectively.  One of the bigger concerns for us is the fact that at times he showed little willingness to take a hit. He needs to add more muscle to bring a better physical element to his game, but has all the opportunity to be the first Russian player selected in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.