Gleb Trikozov
Carolina’s first Russian came in the second round with their 60th overall selection. NHL Central Scouting had him at 16th among the Europeans available in this draft (Skaters only, goalies are a completely different conversation). So, why did he fall to the end of the second round for the Canes to grab the Russian winger?
Well, he’s Russian. With reports recently of Russian Athletes being wanted by their home government, there is a lot of uncertainty regarding selections coming out of the KHL. However, there is a lot to like if you can get the player to move across to the United States. There is a lot to like with Trikozov’s explosive upside. He’s got a lot of offense with him.
Touted as the forward with one of the best shots in the draft class, Trikozov is someone that fell because of his nationality. He’s got the offensive skill to be a great player, but his defensive game will need some development. He’s still playing in Russia right now, but moving forward, the Russian is a good player to have within the organization. He’ll hopefully help the scoring woes of the team in the future.
Playing for his hometown of Omsk in both the VHL (Russian minor league) and MHL (Russian Junior League) Trikozov has shown a lot of talent. His 23 goals and 22 assists for 45 points in just 35 games in the MHL underlines his offensive capabilities. He only had one goal and one assist in his 11 games at the VHL level, but there is a lot to like with this kid. A good pick moving forward.