With the 2024-25 season getting ready to kick off, it means we’re getting closer to the next World Junior Championship and the next draft class. This next draft class has some great prospects all around and this article will focus on the top 10 Russian prospects.
To start off we’ll look at three of the top defensemen:
Maxim Agafonov: We’ll start with Maxim Agafonov, a 6-foot-2 defenseman from Moskva, Russia, born on April 10th, 2007. During the 2023-24 season, he played for Krasnaya Armiya Moskva in 36 games with eight points over those games (1 goal, 7 assists.) He is playing with the Tolpar Ufa this year and has played in six games, with one goal and two assists. Agafonov helped lead Team Russia to win the U16 Districts Cup in 2022, and the U17 team to take home the Bronze Medal.
Kurban Limatov: The second defenseman to highlight is Kurban Limatov, a six-foot-four defenseman also from Moskva, born on March 20, 2007. During the 2023-24 season he played in 30 games for the MHK Dynamo Muskva with one goal and five assits. Limatov is playing with the same team this season and has played in six games so far with three goals and four assists. Limatov is a solid defender that has a tendency to move well, and plays confidently in both zones. He is not afraid of being physical and uses his size to defend in front of the net.
Artyom Vilchinsky: The third, and final defenseman to highlight is Artyom Vilchinsky, a 6-foot-6 defenseman from Vladivostok, born on September 16, 2006. During the 2023-24 season he played in 44 games for the SKA 1946 St. Petersburg and held 11 points (three goals, eight assists.) Vilchinsky is playing for the same team this year as well and has dressed for seven games with just one assist.
Vilchinsky is a strong skater for his size and can be pretty shifty when he really get going. He has relatively strong puck shielding abilities which tend to make it hard for opponents to get the puck away from him. His vision of plays and decision making on breakouts could use some work, and hopefully that continues to improve this season. Vilchinksy has flashes of good problem-solving abilities while killing forechecks but the following move after that is not always a great one.
Next, we’ll look at two of the top goalies:
Pyotr Andreyanov: Pyotr Andreyanov, a 6-foot goalie from Volsk, born on January 22, 2007. He is currently playing for the Krasnaya Armiya Moskva and played in 20 games during the 2023-24 season with 3.04 goals against average, held a .916 save percentage and won one shutout. He also dressed for one Moskva U18 game where he held a 0.00 GAA and 1.00% save percentage. Andreyanov has had a decent start with the Krasnaya Army Moskva where he has played in four games and holds a 2.12 GAA and a .944 SV% record. Andreyanov helped lead Team Russia to win the U14 Silver Medal in 2020, the U15 team to win the bronze and the U16 team to win the Districts Cup in 2022.
Semyon Frolov: The next goalie we’ll look at is Semyon Frolov, he is 6-foot-3 and was born on January 17, 2007, in Togliatti, Russia. He played for the Ladia Togliatti across the 2023-24 season he held a 2.51 GAA and .907 save percentage over 16 games. So far with the same team, Frolov holds a 1.34 GAA and .948 SV% across three games. Frolov helped lead Team Russia to win the U14 Bronze Medal in 2020.
Finally, we’ll look at five of the top forwards:
Ruslan Karimov: Ruslan Karimov is a 6-foot 201-pound left-winger from Almetievsk and was born on April 27,2007. During the 2023-24 season he played for the Sputnik Almetievsk and held 22 points (13 goals, nine assists) over 25 games. Karimov started the 2024-25 season with the Sputnik Almetievsk where he played in four games with one goal and one assist. He is slated to head to the OHL Sarnia Sting. Karimov has strong technical puck skills with his pressure management despite having relatively soft hands. He also possesses strong power forward habits, he’s capable of pushing through other players to create space for himself and other teammates.
Yegor Murashev: Yegor Murashev is a 5-foot-10 right-wing from Kurgan and was born on July 20, 2007. During the 2023-24 season he played for the Mamonty Yugry with 20 points (11 goals, nine points) over 41 games.
Murashev is playing with the MHK Spartak Moskva this season where he has played in three games with zero points. Murashev is a strong, fast skater with good edge work. His play style has been compared to Artemi Panarin in the past with his smaller stature and the way that he can survey the ice and utilize it to create room for himself. His puck handling skills and shooting abilities are very strong as well.
Ivan Ryabkin: Ivan Ryabkin is a 6-foot center from Balakovo born on April 25, 2007. He spent the 2023-24 season playing 44 games with the MHK Dynamo Moskva and held 58 points over the season (24 goals, 34 assists. He is spending the 2024-25 season with the MHK Dynamo Moskva where at this time, he has played in four games with three assists. Ryabkin is a powerful one-on-one threat due to his above-average power paired with his puck handling skills. He is able to maintain good control of the puck while skating quickly and navigating through opponents.
There is still quite a bit of room for growth in his game as far as utilizing the outside edges in the offensive zone. Ryabkin would also benefit from working on his ability to create a separation from defenders on the other team to maintain stronger puck possession under the pressure of the NHL.
Kirill Yemelyanov: Kirill Yemelyanov is a 6-foot center from Irkutsuk and was born on January 8, 2007. He spent the 2023-24 season with the Loko Yaroslavl where he played in 44 games and finished the season with 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists.) Yemelyanov will play with the Logo Yaroslavl again this yearend has played in seven games with two goals so far.
Yemelyanov has a strong motor and is capable of maintaining the puck in most tight spaces, making him a strong player in front of the net. He has a strong hockey IQ and is able to read plays and position himself to support teammates wherever needed. He has a pretty quick, snappy shot and that should improve with time and as he matures as a player.
Vyacheslav Vasilyev: Vyacheslav Vasilyev is a 6-foot-3 center from St. Petersburg and was born on January 11, 2007. He spent the 2023-24 season with the SKA Junior Krasnogorsk, he played in 36 games and held 10 points (four goals, six assists.) Vasilyev will spend this season with the SKA-1946 St. Petersburg again and has played in two games so far with zero points.
Vasilyev helped lead Team Russia to win both the U14 and U15 District Cup in 2020 and 2021. In 2020 he contributed five points over five games (four goals, one assist), and in 2021 he contributed 14 points over seven games (five goals, nine assists.)
