Top 5 most impressive draftees in Europe
As in recent years, the 25-26 season has played host to a number of European draft picks who went about showing the world just what they’re capable of. Last year’s list included Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen, two players who have done more than their fair share for the Montreal Canadiens this season as two of the NHL’s top rookies. It was expected for Demidov, but Kapanen’s performance was a surprise for many. Also, Lenni Hämeenaho found his way into 33 games for the New Jersey Devils after putting up over 20 points in his first 33 AHL games. This season, several of Europe’s best ended up finishing off the season in the AHL, if not the NHL, naturally creating some real buzz for the fans of those various franchises. It’s a trend we’re seeing quite a bit in recent years.
One way or another, more promise was put on display across the European continent, and we can look forward to these young men making their mark in North America in the coming years.
The next step is nonetheless up to them.
Photo: Mathias Bergeld / BILDBYRÅN / kod MB / MB1049
-
Benjamin Rautiainen - F - Liiga - Tampa Bay Lightning 4th rounder in 2025
Selected as a double overager after going from a rather unnoticed junior scorer to putting up 33 points as a 19-year-old in the Finnish Liiga, Rautiainen absolutely exploded this season, leading the entire Liiga circuit in scoring with an absolutely whopping 25-52-77 in 59 games. He came in at +24 to boot. That he then only contributed one goal and 6 points in a 17-game championship playoff run does little to dissuade from the fact that his 77 points were the highest output by a Liiga player since Janne Pesonen’s 78 in the 2007-08 season. In fact, he’s one of only 6 players to even hit 70 points in a regular season in this century. Now it’s time to put his wares on display in North America, but for a franchise that has had so few picks over the last decade, it’s a huge boon to have a mid-round overage pick like Rautiainen show this kind of promise.
He (78) can rip it!
He can dish it off!
-
Dmitri Gamzin - G - KHL - New York Islanders 4th rounder in 2024
Drafted in the final year of his draft eligibility, the 6-foot-3 acrobat is a slick and well-schooled goaltender who took over the reins in net for Dynamo Moscow this past winter. A 22-10-6 record in 40 outings included 8 shutouts, a 1.49 GAA, and .938 GAA. These technical stats were all top 2 in the KHL. Unfortunately, after handedly doing away with SKA St. Petersburg in the first round of the KHL playoffs, even Gamzin’s outstanding play couldn’t save his team from a 4-1 second round loss at the hands of Avangard Omsk, a series in which his team only mustered up 8 goals in 5 games. His contract runs until the summer of 2028, and the belief is that much like current Vezina Trophy nominee Ilya Sorokin, Gamzin will step right into the NHL in his mid-20s with an older Russian NHL vet ahead of him.
He can save and shift
He can weather the storm
-
Roman Kantserov - F - KHL - Chicago Blackhawks 2nd rounder in 2023
Already as a 20-year-old, the 5-foot-9 Kantserov made his mark on the KHL with a 38-point campaign, showing himself to be more of a playmaker with 27 assists in 53 games. However, he spent this season showing that he’s much more than that, potting a total of 40 goals in 78 games. All in all, he had a 72-point campaign with a +21 rating and topped the KHL in goalscoring. But his ability to add various forms of danger to the power play as well as nifty little plays that open space may be most exciting when envisioning him on a smaller ice surface. Still just 21, his current KHL contract expired and the Blackhawks just this week inked him to an ELC. Now we’ll see just how well his game translates.
He (8) can rip it!
He can dish it off!
-
Anton Frondell - F - SHL - Chicago Blackhawks 1st rounder in 2025
Veni, vidi, vici! Frondell started the SHL season off a little slow but eventually worked his way to a 20-goal performance entirely as an 18-year-old. It might have been more had he not missed time playing a key role in winning gold for Sweden at the WJC. Once Djurgarden got knocked out of the playoffs (2 points in 3 games), Frondell headed to North America to begin his NHL career, simply chipping in 3-6-9 in a 12-game debut with Chicago. His season ended with a nomination to the national team for the Men’s WC, where he snuck in another 3 points in 4 games. Hardly a prospect has had a more astronomical year of development, even if others had prettier stats.
He (14) can rip it!
He can dish it off!
-
Alexander Zharovsky - F - KHL - Montreal Canadiens 2nd rounder in 2025
We can’t emphasize enough how impressive it has been to see the 6-foot-2, 175-pound Zharovsky go from a full season of MHL play to taking a regular shift on a scoring line in the KHL. His 16-26-42 and +7 were absolutely outstanding for a player who just turned 19 in February. With that, his projection date as a viable NHL topic has just jumped in leaps and bounds. He has another year on his KHL contract, so there’s no rush just now, but we can’t blame Habs fans for getting excited about his combination of confidence, slick moves, and the ability to get himself open for shots.
He (97) can rip it!
He can dish it off!
Honorable mention:
Damian Clara - G - SHL - Anaheim Ducks 2nd rounder in 2023
The Italian stallion of the goaltending world continued his ascent this year with the starting gig for Brynäs of the SHL, where he had a 17-15 record for a team that often provided little defensive support. He had a statistically rough go of it at the Olympics for a Team Italy that gave it the old college try before wrapping things up with San Diego of the AHL. On pace for an NHL future.
Liam Dower-Nilsson - C - HockeyAllsvenskan - Detroit Red Wings 5th rounder in 2021
After the kind of 24-25 season that would prompt a young man right into an SHL job, the elder Dower-Nilssen decided to stay with Björklöven to continue the mission of gaining promotion. Well, it worked. The team not only gained promotion into the SHL with a fairly dominant run, but Dower-Nilsson led the way with 21-36-57 - 2nd overall in the league - and another 7 points in the playoffs. Ironically, if he remains in Sweden, he’ll be heading to powerhouse Frölunda.
Filip Eriksson - C - SHL - Montreal Canadiens 6th rounder in 2023
Followed a solid 24-25 season of development with a breakthrough 25-26 season, establishing himself as a solid SHL regular with a 15-14-29 and +9 regular season. Cooled down considerably in the playoffs with just one point and a -7 in 14 games.
Jiri Felcman - F - Swiss NL - Chicago Blackhawks 3rd rounder in 2023
A Czech national behemoth (6-foot-4, 200 pounds) who made his way through Swiss juniors turned into an NL regular this season with 3-17-20 stats, then capping things off with AHL Rockford. Has been signed to his ELC.
Marcus Gidlöf - G - SHL - New York Islanders 5th rounder in 2024 (now STL)
The 6-foot-7 giant was quietly moved along in the Brayden Schenn deal at the trade deadline. A midseason injury cost him the WJC, but he almost unnoticeably had a strong statistical season for an SHL Leksand team that was destined for relegation from Day 1. Nonetheless pitched 4 shutouts and 10 wins for the hapless bunch.
Mikhail Ilyin - F - KHL - Pittsburgh Penguins 5th rounder in 2023
Boy, has Ilyin ever looked like an astute pick. After putting up 29 and then 30 points in the two KHL seasons after being drafted, the winger set a career high with 44 points this season and chipped in another 4 points in 5 playoff games. He then joined Pittsburgh’s AHL affiliate and has 5 points in 7 playoffs going, where he’s still in action.
Bogdan Konyushkov - D - KHL - Montreal Canadiens 4th rounder in 2023
Just average in size, the righty shot Konyushkov is coming off his 4th straight season of KHL play, setting career highs with 7-31-38 in 67 games. That he’s played no less than 64 KHL contests in each of the past four years bodes well for his routine and experience. One more year on his KHL contest.
Veeti Miettinen - F - Liiga - Toronto Maple Leafs 6th rounder in 2020
After 4 years at St. Cloud State, where Miettinen never had fewer than 10 goals or more than 36 points, he exploded on the scene in the Finnish Liiga this season with 27 goals and 41 points. He then added another 8 goals and 16 points. If Toronto is ever going to bring him over, it would be this summer.
Ilya Nabokov - G - KHL - Colorado Avalanche 2nd rounder in 2024
Nabokov is already 23, but he continues to give Colorado reason to believe that he’s their future in net. He put in another splendid regular season with a 22-7-5 record, alas his GAA and save percentage were lacking heavily in comparison to recent years. He concluded the season hanging out with the Colorado Eagles to get a look at things in North America.
Felix Nilsson - F - SHL - Nashville Predators 2nd rounder in 2023
We loved him in his draft year, and he’s only confirmed our strong feelings about him ever since. But as nice as his 22 points were in 24-25, he really took the bull by the horns this season, contributing a total of 16 goals and 46 points in 69 total games for a Rögle team that overachieved its way to the SHL finals. It’s uncertain whether Nashville is ready to give him his ELC now but there’s little doubt that he’s ready for the next step.
Prokhor Poltapov - W - KHL - Buffalo Sabres 2nd rounder in 2021
He just completed his second straight 40-point season in the KHL and added 6 playoff points, double to the output to the season before. He has one more year on his KHL contract and then it is felt he’ll be heading to North America.
Daniil Pylenkov - D - KHL - Tampa Bay Lightning 7th rounder in 2021
Slow drip maturation, the 6-foot-1, 202-pound LHD arrived in a big way this season with a career best 9-45-54 season for Dynamo Moscow, making him the second highest KHL scorer among defensemen in the regular season. One more contractual year on the dock and then we expect him in North America.
Yegor Surin - F - KHL - Nashville Predators 1st rounder in 2024
He had a sneaky strong draft year and ended up going in the first round a bit earlier than many may have suspected. And after a strong playoffs in his rookie season in the KHL in 24-25, he now jumped from 14 to 37 points and has arrived in the KHL as an offensive impact player. The hope is that he’ll be in 50-point land next season and can jump into the NHL after that.
Herman Träff - RW - HockeyAllsvenskan - Anaheim Ducks 3rd rounder in 2024
After half a season of SHL play in 24-25, with 7 points in the process, Träff decided to spend his first full season of pure pro play in the nation’s second tier, a sound move as he scored 23 goals and 44 points in 55 games, then headed to the AHL for a North American intro. Notable: he’s occupied the Ovechkin spot on the power play and can absolutely rip it.
Yevgeni Volokhin - G - VHL - Montreal Canadiens 5th rounder in 2023
Now 21 and a sack of skin and bones at 6’3” and 170 pounds, Volokhin was absolutely dominant in Russia’s 2nd league VHL, putting up an outstanding 1.51 GAA and .948 SV% in 40 contests. His 25-10-5 record was wonderful, but his 12-6 playoff record in leading his team to the championship was the real treat this spring. The KHL is on deck next season.
Semyon Vyazovoi - G - KHL - Seattle Kraken 6th rounder in 2021
A full-fledged KHL starter now, Vyazovoi had a monster season, for all intents and purposes. A 27-18-5 record was accompanied by a 2.13 GAA and .931 SV%. A 4-5 record in the playoffs wasn’t shabby either - clearly verifying that he was his team’s go-to starter. There’s one more year on his current contract.
Other notables:
Yegor Borikov (UTH, KHL), Semyon Chistyakov (NAS, KHL), Noah Dower-Nilsson (DET, SHL), Victor Eklund (NYI, SHL), Mikkel Erikssen (NYR, U20 SWE), Eddie Genborg (DET, SHL), Marcus Gidlöf (STL, SHL), Olaf Glifford (FLA, HockeyAllsvenskan), Stepan Gorbunov (FLA, VHL), Milton Gästrin (WAS, HockeyAllsvenskan), Roni Hirvonen (TOR, Liiga), Anton Johansson (DET, SHL), Oiva Keskinen (CBJ, Liiga), Jesse Kiiskinen (DET, Liiga), Tinus Luc Koblar (TOR, SHL), Dmitri Kostenko (MTL, SVK), Matvei Korotky (STL, MHL), Topias Leiponen (BUF, HockeyAllsvenskan), Vadim Moroz (UTH, KHL), Elijah Neuenschwander (ANA, SL), Daniil Orlov (NJD, KHL), Alexander Perevalov (CAR, VHL), Lucas Pettersson (ANA, SHL), Dmitri Rashevsky (WIN, KHL), Daniel Salonen (EDM, Liiga), Noah Steen (TBL, SHL), Santeri Sulku (PHI, Liiga), Melker Thelin (UHC, SHL), Leo Sahlin Wallenius (SJS, SHL), Yegor Zavragin (PHI, VHL)