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 Daniil But Scouting Report.
There are often a few players that will split a lot of hairs when going into the NHL drafts. Some will see them as a top 10 pick while others have them out of their top 50. This year one of those players is 6-foot-5 Russian winger, Daniil But.
But he had a brilliant season in the MHL, where he put up 26 points in 26 games. Out of the 26 points, 15 of them were goals. He is a goal scorer in every sense of the word, and one that has a significant ceiling to become one of the best snipers in the NHL. The problem is that he also has inconsistencies that make his floor lower than most in the top 50. So the question becomes which GM is ready to gamble on a prospect that has boom or bust written all over him.
2023 NHL Draft Scouting Report: Daniil But
Left Wing — shoots Right
Born February 15th, 2005 — Yaroslavl, Russia
Height 6’5″ — Weight 203 lbs [196 cm/92 kg]
Skating:
It’s not often that players who are 6-foot-5 are amazing skaters, and Daniil But is no exception to this rule. Mechanically he struggles to get going, and his acceleration often lets him down. However, he has a decent speed to his game, and once he is moving, he can be hard to stop with his size. He also has okay edges, allowing him to get space for his deadly shot. This is helped a lot by the fact that his puck handling is much better than one might expect.
However, he does need a lot of work on his skating overall. As mentioned, his acceleration is his greatest weakness in this area, but he also would do well to become more agile. He struggles with balance and is far too easily knocked off the puck despite his size. He needs to learn to use his big frame better when in stride if he ever is to make it in the NHL.
Offensive Qualities:
The most notable strength of Daniil But is his elite shot. His shot is brilliant, and deadly from nearly any area of the ice. It’s similar to Tage Thompson, where the release is so fast and the shot so hard that it completely overwhelms goalies. Especially in the MHL, where he scored 15 goals in 26 games. He also possesses quite a lot of accuracy and power, making him a threat from most areas of the ice.
On top of his brilliant shot, he also has a lot of skill in his game. He is a very good puck handler and can create space and get out of pressure with smooth maneuvers. This gives him time to find a passing lane for his much-improved playmaking ability. His passing is very good and with his deadly shot, defenders have a lot to handle, which gives him a lot of options when he’s on the puck.
However, while his passing is good, and his playmaking has improved over the past year, there are still heavy question marks surrounding the Russian’s awareness and overall hockey sense. It’s very inconsistent, and his decision-making often lets him down. He will often have the space for a pass but miss the timing or choose an easily blocked shot instead or vice versa. This writer believes his hockey senses are the biggest worry, despite the improvements he has made. If he can be better at scanning the ice more efficiently along with some improved acceleration, he has all the tools to be a very complete offensive player.
Defensive Qualities:
It’s hard to really describe Daniil But’s defensive qualities since he is a pure offensive dynamo. In addition, he wasn’t tested defensively the past season. With his size, there would be hope that he could be a very dominant player along the boards, however, he isn’t that great. It feels like he needs to get used to his size and fill it out with strength and better balancing. He is far too easily moved around and away from the puck and doesn’t stand his ground. For a player his size, it’s somewhat disappointing.
Despite his sub-par skating, he does use his body well to block passing lanes and shots. He also does a decent job at being a good transition player, where he can get up to speed and use his great skill to carry the puck into the offensive zone on the rush.
Comparable and Prediction:
Overall, it’s really hard to describe a comparable to Daniil But. Offensively, he has so many tools and skills that it almost seems unfair for a 6-foot-5 player. His shot is brilliant and comparable to Tage Thompson. His skill and puck handling is great, and he has underrated playmaking which is almost similar to Nikolaj Ehlers. However, his skating and especially acceleration are nothing like Ehlers. It’s far worse and needs a lot of work to be NHL-ready. Think more towards a player like Ryan Reaves on that front. His hockey sense is also a series question and could hurt how well he transitions to both the KHL and the NHL.
If he can improve the poor parts of his game while maintaining his strengths, whoever selects Daniil But will have a wonderful sniper and offensive winger in their top six.
Highlights
Main Photo: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
