Rocco and Darren are within a point of each other on 8 of 10 categories. No category splits by 1.5 or more. Strongest tool: OZ Hockey Sense at 8.9.
Each dot is that scout's average for the category across their reports. The white tick is the consensus: the average of every report, each counted once. A red dashed gap means the scouts are 1.5 points or more apart. Tap a row to see every report's score.
Strong initial acceleration with good straight-line speed once he gets moving. Displays good explosiveness off the line, but his skating is limited by a lack of strength. Can become unstable on his edges and through pivots, particularly when forced to change direction under pressure. Needs significant physical development to improve his balance and ability to play through contact.
Does not project as a high-end shooter at this stage, but shows good awareness of how to use his body to protect and leverage the puck despite his lack of strength. Handles the puck with confidence and has good hand-eye coordination. Effective at picking pucks off and creating turnovers. Strong forehand receiver, although his effectiveness drops when receiving pucks outside his frame or on his backhand side.
Shows good offensive instincts and a willingness to make plays through pressure. Has some creativity off the boards and can find passing options in the offensive zone, though his execution remains inconsistent against stronger competition. Too often attempts to force passes through opposing sticks. Displays good touch on one-touch plays and has strong offensive instincts on the power play.
Very good offensive playmaker on the PP. Reads developing plays well, fills available offensive lanes and can create advantages off the rush. Has the skill to beat defenders one-on-one and shows reasonable patience after gaining an advantage, allowing him to locate teammates. Can still take contact after making plays due to a lack of strength and physical separation.
Effective transition player who looks to advance the puck quickly. Has the vision and awareness to head-man the puck and generate immediate offense following turnovers. Shows good anticipation in the neutral zone and can identify passing lanes to intercept pucks. However, he can overextend himself offensively, occasionally creeping too far out of the defensive zone and being slow to recover.
Overall, an intelligent offensive player with legitimate playmaking ability, strong transition instincts and a good feel for the power play. His offensive game became increasingly impactful as the game progressed, and he was particularly aggressive in attacking late. The primary concern is his physical development. He needs to add significant strength to improve his skating stability, puck protection, defensive reliability and ability to withstand contact at higher levels.
This was a really impressive showing for Skvortsov. He pushed the pace every time he was out there and used his speed to create pressure and offensive opportunities. Very dangerous in open ice. The defensive play prior to his assist was a thing of beauty. He made several good defensive plays, from intercepting passes in the DZ to straight up high-effort backchecks to strip the puck carrier. Seems he already has a good understanding that offense is created through solid defensive play. He anticipated really well, the hockey sense shows itself regularly in this viewing. Really impressed with him early on.
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Thought he looked pretty comfortable given that it was his first KHL game. Really like how he attacked the play with his speed. Wasn't timid at all and took defenders head-on as the puck carrier. Good intensity on the forecheck - he went to the dirty areas expecting to come out with the puck, and often times he did. The strength is the obvious area of improvement - he needs to put on weight and only time will correct that - so let's get that out of the way but acknowledge he did a good job of working around it here. Can tell he sees the game offensively very naturally. The best part about his goal wasn't even the goal itself, but that play started by him picking up a turnover just inside the offensive blueline and making a quick pass to his teammate in the middle of the ice, and then he didn't stop his pursuit and picked up the loose puck again behind the net before finishing on a bit of a lucky break. A very solid start to the season for Skvortsov.
Full game highlights available FREE at https://www.patreon.com/PuckBunker/posts/sergei-skvortsov-168809524?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link