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Mikhail Gulyayev Scouting Report: 2023 NHL Draft #15

Welcome back to Top Shelf Prospects, the column that brings you the next crop of professional hockey players. Each day our LWOS Prospects Writers will bring you a new player profile or topical article in the lead-up to the 2023 NHL Draft. Be sure to bookmark the site, follow Ben Kerr, Kyle Pereira and Frederik Frandson on Twitter, and spread the word for the site that will bring you analytical and critical profiles and scouting reports! Last Word On Hockey Prospects is your new headquarters for everything “NHL Draft”! Today we bring you our Mikhail Gulyayev Scouting Report.

One of the top defencemen in this year’s draft, Mikhail Gulyayev will face questions due to the Russian factor. On top of questions about the Russian-Ukranian war, and possible military service, his KHL contract with Avangard Omsk runs through the summer of 2025 according to EliteProspects. His father, Alexander Gulyayev, is an assistant coach with Omsk’s MHL affiliate (Russia’s junior league).

Gulyayev spent the season bouncing between various levels in Russia. He played 13 games in the KHL, and picked up one assist in his limited ice time. In the VHL (roughly speaking, Russia’s equivalent to the AHL),  the 17-year-old defender had four assists in 12 games. Playing in the MHL, Gulyayev dominated his fellow teenagers. He put up two goals and 23 assists for 25 points in 22 games. He’s also added two goals and 10 points in 17 playoff games.

While Russia has been banned from international play in recent years, Gulayev excelled prior to that ban. He won a gold medal at the 2021 Ivan Hlinka tournament, with two goals and five points in five games. He also won gold with Russia at the Youth Olympics in 2020, picking up one assist in four tournament games.

Mikhail Gulyayev Scouting Report

Left Defence — shoots Left
Born April 26th, 2005 — Novosibirsk, Russia
Height 5’10” — Weight 172 lbs [178 cm/78 kg]

Skating

Gulyayev’s two-way game is defined by his dynamic skating ability. He has excellent speed and very good acceleration in both directions. This allows him to be involved in the offensive end of the ice and still get back defensively. His ability and edgework are outstanding. Gulyayev’s lateral mobility is outstanding. This makes him very shifty and hard to check on the rush. It also allows him to walk the line in the offensive zone and open up passing and shooting lanes. Gulyayev also uses this agility to defend against the rush, helping him to maintain gap control and keep attackers in front of him. He needs to add strength, especially in his core though. He can sometimes be knocked off the puck and loses battles in front of the net and along the boards due to his slight size.

Offensive Game

Gulyayev is able to marry his strong skating skills with excellent puckhandling ability. He can make plays while moving at top speed. This allows him to carry the puck through the neutral zone, generating efficient zone entries. He is also able to use his shiftiness to create plays in the offensive zone. Quick lateral movements and excellent hands allow him to make a quick move to open up a passing or shooting lane. Gulyayev is a very good playmaker. He has excellent vision and passing skills. Gulyayev can quarterback the play from the blue line, buying his teammates time to get open. When they do, he can make a tape-to-tape pass through a tight opening and set up a scoring chance. He has excellent hockey sense and anticipation.

Gulyayev has a decent release on his wrist shot and good accuracy. However, his shot lacks some power. This may come as he continues to gain muscle in his upper body. He does a good job of sneaking down from the point, and letting go a wrist shot from the top of the circles. Gulyayev keeps his shot low, allowing teammates to get in position for deflections and screens. He also needs to continue to work on his slap shot.

Defensive Game

Gulyayev’s defensive game is decent, but there is room for improvement as well. His strong skating and mobility allow him to cover a lot of ice. He is quick to retrieve dump-ins or get to loose pucks. Once he does get the puck, he is able to use his skill to transition up the ice quickly. His skating also makes him tough to beat in one-on-one situations and allows him to funnel attackers to the outside on the rush. He has high end hockey IQ, putting himself in good positions and anticipating opponents in order to create turnovers. His active stick is also good at stealing pucks from opponents.

Some issues occur due to his lack of size and strength though. Gulyayev can have issues keeping attackers away from the net when defending the cycle game. He also needs to be stronger to win battles on the boards and in front of the net.

Projection and Comparison

Gulyayev will likely spend another couple of years in Russia, at minimum, before he is ready to come to North America. This should give him some time to add muscle to his frame, work on his shot, and continue to refine his defensive game. He has the potential to be a top power-play quarterback and a top-four defenceman in the NHL, though there is some risk. His game is reminiscent of a combination of Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar. However, this is a stylistic comparison only and not one based on his skill and ability.

Highlights

The following is a compilation of some of the highlight packages and features of Mikhail Gulyayev that are available on youtube and Twitter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGdKLcCWCtk&list=PLOgBIUfkk2BPB35-tCDIH6X6DaKTLlqIu

 

Check back later for our next NHL Draft article.

Main Photo: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

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