With the 6th pick of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, the Arizona Coyotes have selected Dmitri Simashev from Loko Yaroslavl of the MHL
About Dmitri Simashev
Dmitri Simashev might not be the most exciting defenceman in this draft, but he could eventually become one of its best in the long term. With his size, skating, offensive potential, and overall lockdown defensive game, he has a very attractive set of skills in his arsenal. At an imposing 6-foot-4, 201 pounds, he already has the athletic profile of a dominant NHL defenceman. If his offence starts translating to points on the scoreboard, he will be a veritable force at both ends of the ice.
Simashev split his 2022-23 season between the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and the Russian Junior League (MHL). He performed admirably against men in the KHL for 18 games where he went pointless with two penalty minutes and a minus-1 in the plus/minus column, and 33 games with Loko Yaroslavl (29 games) and Loko-76 Yaroslavl (four games); recording one goal and 12 points.
THW Prospect Profile Excerpt
“Simashev’s size and skating combo is more than enough to get NHL general managers excited and he has an advanced enough defensive game to keep up and compete with grown men in the KHL this year. He defends extremely well for such a young player, shutting down plays with his long reach and his strong frame. There’s room to grow in terms of physical play, and I expect that will come as he gets more comfortable in his body once he stops growing.
“He prevents zone entries very well, with his long stick and great skating making him a very adaptable defender moving back into his own zone… The biggest question mark in his game right now is if he has NHL-caliber offensive skill. He produced points at a very low rate this season which has made some people understandably worried that he won’t have much offense to give in the NHL. I’m not too worried as he shows more offense than the stat sheet credits him for, making solid outlet passes and even displaying some good stick handling around defenders on the rush.
“The point totals aren’t doing him a lot of favors, but he is probably the best defender in the draft class and has shown some real offensive promise. I think Simashev has the highest two-way potential among defensemen in the draft class, with a higher defensive ceiling than Axel Sandin-Pellikka and a higher offensive ceiling than David Reinbacher. However, the uncertainty of him reaching his potential is the biggest thing holding me back from viewing him as a no-doubt top-16 pick.”
Full player profile can be found here.
How This Affects the Coyotes’ Plans
With the league being as fast and offensively driven as it is today, teams need two-way defencemen that can not only defend well but keep up with the likes of Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon. Simashev can do both. While he isn’t remotely as fast as that duo—no one really is—he has the size and skating ability to potentially keep them at bay.
With the Russian factor in play, Simashev might be stuck in the KHL for a number of years, but all that means is that he will be even more equipped to step into the NHL and dominate the competition. As such, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him quickly develop into a top-four defenceman that plays in all situations for the Coyotes.
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