Top 20 Prospects Ranking 2017: #9 Yegor Korshkov

The Maple Leafs took a lot of people by surprise in last year’s NHL entry draft by selecting Yegor Korshkov, a player who had previously been passed over twice in the draft, with the first pick of the second round. The 6’4, 187 lbs winger had been ranked as low as #116 by professional services and with players like Alex DeBrincat and Tyler Benson still on the board, many felt he would’ve been available considerably later.

However, you don’t earn that prestigious #9 spot on the TLN Top 20 Prospects Rankings 2017 list without some upside and Korshkov has plenty of that.  While his offensive numbers in the KHL have yet to be staggering they, like my mom’s cooking, must be taken with a grain of salt. First of all, it’s important to note Korshkov’s deployment was primarily on the 3rd line of his Lokomotiv team. His special teams usage is difficult to really gauge, but it is worth noting only one of his goals came from the man advantage. Secondly, he actually had an impressive start to his season last year with 16 points in 21 games before breaking his leg cost him to miss nearly half the season. Upon his return to the lineup, he scored in his first game back before putting up an abysmal 2 assists in the next 14 games to close out the season. This may come as a surprise, but breaking your leg is bad. The effects are too many to list but anyone who has done it while playing at a high level of hockey will tell you how hard it is to come back from it especially in the middle of the season when everyone is in “game shape” and you’ve been a couch potato for 2 months. Call it rushing back too soon and/or a small sample size and move on.

Adam Laskaris 10
Ryan Fancey 12
Ryan Hobart 7
Megan Kim 11
Scott Maxwell 10
Evan Presement 9
Bobby Cappuccino 6
Brayden Engel 10
Jon Steitzer 15
Dylan Fremlin 8
Shawn Reis 3
Hayley Hendren 9

Korshkov is lanky. Despite what my elite prospects says , he and I are roughly the same height and I haven’t weighed 187 pounds since grade 11. However, it seems to be an area he is addressing as this time last year he was listed seven pounds lighter. The young man does not let this negatively affect his game though as he frequently throws his weight around if we look at his hit totals as well as allowing him to be more fleet of foot than other skaters of his stature. This gives Yegor the ability to get back and defend which is a strength of his game, a rare sight in such a young player. While having evenly split goals and assists totals for most of his career, as his game progresses I see Korshkov being more of a threat to pass than to shoot. His extraordinary vision paired with his size often allows him to use his body to protect the puck and then find a late streaking linemate for an easy tap in or at the very least, a legitimate scoring chance.

This assist does a great job of demonstrating that playmaking ability that was just mentioned. He beats the dman with a smooth deke and takes it wide before separating the defender and the puck by shielding it with his body and then shows great awareness by throwing it out front to his linemate.

If you’re interested in getting a better grasp for Korshkov’s ability, here’s a bit of a longer video encompassing his highlights from last season.

Next season is in fact, this season already as the KHL has already started up their regular season and that is where Korshkov will finish out the year. He looks to have been bumped up to the second line this season and will likely see some more special teams time to accompany that growth in responsibility so look for his numbers to take a slight increase throughout the year

Without the convenience of watching him in North America against his peers, it’s difficult to gauge where exactly Korshkov sits in terms of the Leafs long term plan. Without vast knowledge of the intricacies of KHL contract bylaws, I am unsure when the Leafs would be able to bring him over to get him integrated into their systems and style of play. He is a different kind of prospect from the ones often discussed in circles where that sort of thing happens. His size, speed and ability to be trusted in both ends (and sides) of the ice give the lefty RW a unique set of skills not oft found amongst the prospect pool that the blue and white have built up. If he is able to demonstrate some growth in the KHL, we’re likely to be seeing him play in North America in the next 24 months.