2023 NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Daniil But

National Hockey League 2023 draft prospect Daniil But was born in Yaroslavl, Russia, on February 15, 2005. The 18-year-old winger is one of the more polarizing prospects in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, with some predictions g that he could be drafted in the first round. But is a 6-foot-5, 205-pound right-shot forward who can play both wings effectively. The strength of his game is the way he can win battles and protect the puck in the corners, along with great puck skills and an effective shot.

Daniil But is ranked by many hockey evaluators in the top 30 in scouting reports, some ranking him within the top 10 in the upcoming NHL Draft. The following list will show the scouting rankings for Daniil But:

Ranked #39 by Inside The Rink

Ranked #11 by NHL Central Scouting (EURO)

Ranked #36 by Elite Prospects

Ranked #25 by TSN/Bob McKenzie

Ranked #30 by Craig Button

Ranked #8 by The Athletic

Daniil But will be a player to watch in the draft. The big Russian has size, puck possession ability, and can score with a heavy, accurate shot. Skating isn’t a strength, but the winger has powerful strides that help him get to scoring areas once he gets his feet moving.

Diving Deeper:

Daniil But’s father, Anton, was a fifth-round pick of the New Jersey Devils in 1998 who decided to continue playing in the KHL in Russia rather than come to the United States. Daniil scored 15 goals with 11 assists in 26 games for Loko Yaroslavl and played three games for the Russian U18 internationally and registered a goal and three assists. In the 2023-24 season, But will play another season in the KHL, where he competed in 15 games with two goals this past season.

Offensive game:

But possesses a heavy shot and can get between the dots with his size and strength. He is good off the wall and taking the puck to the net. The big forward needs to work on his acceleration. The Hockey Writers had the following scout: “But’s shot is heavy, a symptom of his raw strength and his shooting mechanics, and he can even be seen pulling the puck towards his skates at the moment before shooting to change the angle and make the opposing goalie’s life even tougher. The power and cleverness of his release make it clear that his shot will be an NHL-caliber weapon, especially as a finisher on the powerplay. Despite being so much bigger than the vast majority of his competition in the Russian junior leagues, But isn’t the most adept physical player, though I think it’s fair to assume he’ll become more comfortable with his large frame once he stops growing”.

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Final Thoughts:

Daniil But is a player to watch. He has all the tools to be a strong draft prospect and an excellent project for any NHL organization. The jury is still out on where But will be selected in the draft. You could hear his name in the late first round or as late as round three. The guess here is that But is taken by San Jose with the 36th pick.