Artyom Shchuchinov and his full season in the KHL | 2024 NHL Draft
Throughout the 2023-2024 NHL season, TSLH Prospects shares observation reports and prospect profiles on young players eligible for the 2024 NHL Draft. Similar to the past four seasons, the columnists produce texts on a significant number of prospects to provide a comprehensive overview of the cohort and its progress. Today, the focus is on Artyom Shchuchinov, a defenseman playing in the KHL.
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If there’s one 18-year-old defenseman in the KHL flying under the radar, it’s Artyom Shchunichov. The left-handed from Traktor is one of the older prospects in the 2024 NHL draft and has played 54 games this season in Russia’s premier league. With average ice time ranging from 6 to 10 minutes, his offensive stats are understandably modest (1 goal and 4 assists), but that’s not something you can hold against him. It simply wasn’t his role on the team.
His main asset lies in his mobility. He’s a skater in the top tier of this summer’s draft class, which compensates for his lack of size at 5 feet 11 inches and 154 lbs. He looks a bit more imposing on the ice, but even with an additional 10 lbs, it’s not optimal. In short, he’s a smooth and explosive hockey player who demonstrates remarkable agility in all four directions.
Artyom Shchuchinov uses his legs skillfully to escape pressure in his own zone and advance the play with short passes. This is definitely one of his strengths in the neutral zone. With his speed, it’s easy for him to navigate through enemy structure to move the puck to the other side of the ice. He doesn’t often handle zone entries as he tends to quickly pass the puck out of his own territory. However, he shows a willingness to join the attack to support the forwards. While he’s ignored by them most of the time, I still appreciate his timing.
When I mentioned his ability to escape pressure, it’s especially true when facing single-player forechecking. When a second attacker appears, it’s generally more challenging for him to find space. I believe there’s a slight lack of experience in reading the play around him and protecting himself effectively in tight spaces. He doesn’t win many battles for possession and doesn’t use his tools properly, often being physically overpowered. He absolutely needs to learn to distribute the puck more quickly under pressure from multiple players due to his size. Eventually, he’ll need to gain strength to better protect the puck.
Offensively, the prospect has the ability to attack open spaces and free himself to create opportunities, but it lacks consistency. It’s evident he doesn’t necessarily have the green light and must minimize errors to stay on the ice. It’s a shame because I really appreciate his dynamism along the blue line. I believe he could be very useful if utilized more given his potential. However, his shot is almost non-existent. Yes, he hits the target, but it’s not enough to beat professional goalies. He’s more of a defenseman who will go deep into enemy territory to open up the play and free his teammates. The potential is there.
For the draft, I expect Artyom Shchuchinov to go in the second or third round. Despite the risks regarding his size and passivity in one-on-one situations, I’m certain a team will appreciate his mobility and the fact that he played the entire season in the KHL. We’ll see next year if his team, Traktor, gives him more responsibilities in their defensive system, which ranks in the top third in the country.
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