Penguins
Penguins Sign Talented Russian Prospect to ELC
There is another Pittsburgh Penguins prospect on the way. Saturday afternoon, the team announced they signed Russian prospect Mikhail Ilyin to a three-year entry-level deal.
Ilyin, 20, was the Penguins’ fifth-round choice (142nd overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft. He’s a slick stickhandling left-wing player who has played for the Severstal Cherepovets in the KHL for the last two seasons. This season, he scored seven goals with 30 points in 64 games. Last season, he notched 12 goals and 29 points in 65 games.
He is just one of eight teenagers in KHL history to register 30 or more points in a single season. He tied the Cherepovets team record set by 19-year-old Pavel Buchnevich in 2014-15.
The 6-foot-3, 191-pound winger, who must change his number to play in the NHL because he wears No. 99 in Russia, is known for deceptive stickhandling and offensive attack. However, the great knock in him is his skating, which amateur scouts report as well below average. He would presumably be the second Russian prospect with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins next season, joining goalie Sergei Murashov.
Ilyin did not attend the 2023 Draft, so his English skills are not yet known. The Penguins annually hold their rookie camp at the UPMC Lemieux Complex immediately following the draft.
Alright, he and Sergei can be roommates… and Geno better be taking them out and have some home cooked meals for them at training camp.
If Ilyin is a “well below average skater” what’s the point of signing him to participate in a sport that typically involves that…..what do they call it….that skating thingy?
People said Mark Stone was a crap skater too. Long list of guys who had terrible reports in skating. You can improve, and some smart talented players figure it out.
Also what is the harm?
No harm…I was just curious why a pro hockey team would sign a prospective player who is reportedly “well below average” at the principal skill required in the sport?
The analogies to other sports provide a cornucopia of possibilities but the lowest hanging fruit are basketball players who can’t dribble, football defensive players who can’t tackle (except Dion Sanders) and most baseball players signed by Bob Nutting.
Hopefully, Ilyin’s contract includes skating lessons.
No, the comparisons would be a basketball player who is great at dribbling and a football player who is great at tackling, they’re just slow.
Ilyn has great hands, a nice shot, and good offensive instincts. He just needs to work on skating faster. The knock on McGroarty was that he wasn’t a great skater either, but he worked on it and improved. This guy is a 5th round pick. We’ll see if he can improve his skating to be able to play in the NHL. If he does, great. If he doesn’t, well he was a 5th round pick.
George, I agree with your correction of my analogies. I suppose that leaves the bigger question and its accompanying analogies; how many “well below average”
dribblers and tacklers can be found on NBA and NFL rosters?
However, as you say, it’s only a 5th round draft choice…and I’ll add, grist for our PHN message board.
Early scouting reports (2023) for the Russian outlined major concerns with his skating ability, specifically his straight line speed and stride. This season he is noticeably faster and has a lower skating posture that plagued his draft reputation, and his agility is phenomenal. In tandem with his skating he has improved his battles for pucks.
He is continuing with his greatest strength, his deceptive passing, as he absolutely has had some kucherov level deception plays and executes extremely well, very often. He is getting into better positions to perform these plays with improved skating and positioning and looks like a veteran in the KHL as a 19 year old.
Thank you for that Dean and also thanks to Mr. Kingerski for furnishing us this forum.
For those of us who are merely casual fans, you can understand why we might be puzzled about our team signing a player whose most noticeable flaw involves the principal skill of the sport we’re all following.
I mean, his skating was considered a weakness at the pro level. But, he’s playing pro and on a much bigger ice surface where skating’s important. Therefore, even if he’s a “poor” skater by NHL standards, he’s so l still an outstanding skater in general Whereas, a basketball player who can’t dribble, would be a HUGE issue. There are plenty of DBs who can’t tackle though And, the pirates have had a ton of good players and some years of success under nutting. However, I 100% get your point about that lol. Every time I see Tommy Pham take the… Read more »
I have to say, after watching the highlights, he still seems like a below average skater. His stride is kinda wonky and his fist couple of strides almost look painful. Like me in my 40’s trying to keep up with 20 year olds if I don’t numb myself 🤣.
But, man, he can really pass and seems to know where to be on the ice. I like the upside.
Now that’s a reply, Jay!
Wearing 99 takes some brass balls, so I’d assume confidence isn’t an issue
Great self confidence but can’t skate; who needs skating when you have self belief?
Playoffs are now assured as in self assured
the rest of the league is playing checker and Dubas is playing Chess………………
He’ll fit in with Poulin. They both should spend all summer working to improve that.
Poulin has improved his skating big time. His skating is no longer what’s holding him back. It’s more just putting it together at the NHL level. I mean, he missed a lot of time due to injury and sone mental health stuff
Also, the knock that he was a well below average skater is probably from his draft year. Ilyin is playing against the highest level competition outside of the US, and on a much bigger ice surface. His skating has to be better by now. And, his strengths should play better on the smaller, North American, ice.
Looks like he’s already wearing a Pens uniform circa 2030.
Just wondering if I’m remembering correctly. Wasn’t he one of the Russians who dropped lower in the draft that year due to the war in Ukraine? Like, always a project, but wasn’t he graded to be more of a 3rd rounder and fell?
Bring him in, he might wear #9, and let the Geno/Sergei welcome him into American culture