What do the Canucks have in Kirill Kudryavtsev?

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From afar, the numbers on Kirill Kudryavtsev’s stat sheet bounce out: 50 factors in 67 video games is a formidable whole for any defenceman.

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The Russian blueliner has been an offensive drive for the Soo Greyhounds for 2 seasons now, and it’s a massive cause why the Vancouver Canucks threw a seventh-round dart at him within the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.

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Nevertheless it’s not his offensive smarts which might be the very first thing that his fellow prospect, Josh Bloom, mentions when requested a couple of defenceman he is aware of properly from enjoying in opposition to him quite a bit within the OHL over the last two years.

The 19-year-old Russian has a really exhausting edge, it seems.

“Robust, powerful participant to play in opposition to. Would at all times offer you a shot right here, a shot there,” Bloom stated. “Little stingers right here and there. So irritating to play in opposition to. He can bury the puck too. So he was at all times harmful in our scouting. We at all times had a bit of video on him earlier than we confronted the Soo.”

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Kudryavtsev, who’s initially from Yaroslavl however who moved to Ontario when he was 17 forward of his draft 12 months, grinned a bit of when instructed that Bloom talked about the sting in his sport.

“Yeah, I modified a bit for the Canadian sport,” he stated Wednesday, after he and his fellow prospects wrapped up the Canucks’ summer time growth camp with a scrimmage on the College of B.C. “As a result of the rinks are smaller. The whole lot is quicker. The fellows are higher.”

Shifting to play for a storied staff just like the Soo at 17 was each difficult — he did his greatest to find out about Canadian tradition beforehand — but in addition thrilling. The staff’s historical past is true in entrance of you, he stated.

Wayne Gretzky’s face is in every single place, however he’s not the one star to have come by city. How about Rick Tocchet (1981 by 1984) or Adam Foote (1988 by 1991)?

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“Within the enviornment, there’s this complete wall of fame of men who performed one sport within the NHL. There’s a whole lot of nice names — even just like the teaching stuff right here: Rick Tocchet and Adam Foote — and also you’re like, strolling by this wall and have a look at these guys, like, it’s simply wonderful,” he stated.

Kyle Raftis is GM of the Greyhounds and says Kudryatsev’s sport has grown by leaps and bounds, each since arriving in Canada two years in the past but in addition since being drafted a 12 months in the past.

The Greyhounds iced a really younger roster in 2022-23, Raftis stated.

“He performed massive minutes on a really younger staff this 12 months and has actually taken his sport to a different stage. You may see how rather more assured he’s this 12 months in comparison with final 12 months the place he didn’t get as a lot credit score as he deserved as we had a really veteran blue line,” he stated.

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Kudryavtsev was additionally an assistant captain, an announcement about how the staff felt about his skills as a pacesetter.

“He’s a fantastic instance each on and off the ice for our younger gamers,” he stated.

In his personal progress, Kudryavtsev says he watches the NHL’s greatest defencemen and tries to take one thing from every of them.

“I simply attempt to get one thing good from every good defenceman, like one thing good from Cale Makar, one thing from Quinn Hughes, and simply mix it,” he defined.

These are respectable gamers to strive to attract from, it was identified to him.

“Yeah, yeah,” he replied with a smile.

What he has discovered from the most effective does appear to paying off. Bloom stated Kudryatsev’s puck expertise make it very exhausting to drive him into turnovers.

“The truth that he can break the puck out so cleanly, as a forechecker it’s irritating since you’re going up and down the ice and also you simply can’t get that puck. He’s superior,” he stated.

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Kudryavtsev signed an entry-level contract in March, however as a result of he was drafted from the OHL, he has to return there for yet another 12 months — until he one way or the other makes the NHL out of coaching camp.

For the remainder of the summer time he’s received to get his visa sorted out for subsequent season, then he’s hoping to fly again to Russia to go to his household for a short time. He might be again within the Soo for August, when the Greyhounds’ coaching camp begins.

Then he’ll come to Vancouver for Younger Stars and NHL camp.

All in all, coming to Canada, and shopping for into enjoying the Canadian model, has been a good selection for him.

“Most likely,” he stated, grinning.

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