Alexander Perevalov
If you want to talk about prospects that fell into the lap of the Carolina Hurricanes, look no further than Alexander Perevalov. He’s not going to be as well known as Shane Wright, but this is another player who was preceded by his nationality and fell to the Canes in the third round. Only EliteProspects had him ranked below the position he was taken, and simply put, it is because of his nationality.
At 6’0, 190, size isn’t an issue. Yes, he isn’t quite as big as the 6’6, 230 players the Blue Jackets decided to draft, but he isn’t undersized. This is a player with another wicked shot and unlike Trikozov, he’s known for playing a good defensive game as well as being able to blast the puck. He was a major force in the MHL this year and even saw KHL time at just 17 years old, outlining his talent.
In his 42 games with Loko Yaroslavl in the MHL, Perevalov put up 25 goals and 25 helpers for a rather pleasingly symmetrical 50-point season. He couldn’t produce in his five games in the best league in Russia, but at his young age, producing in the KHL right now would have put him in contention for the first overall pick and labeled him as one of the best talents in the draft.
He cooled off as the MHL season went along, but a lot of people still had him pinned as a talent that should have gone in the late first round or early second. Instead, the Canes got him early in the third round. This is a player that is going to be in the NHL, and that seems to be a consensus. He’s got everything you want, and although his upside isn’t as good as some players, he’ll be very serviceable.
I didn’t even mention the fact that Perevalov is incredibly coachable and passionate about getting better. He loves the game of hockey and always seems to want to improve. If you put him under a coach that wants to help him improve, there’s no limit to what he can do. While he is still very rough around the edges right now, there’s a lot to like with where he could end up being.