Next up in our NHL Draft Profile series is the 18th-ranked prospect, Igor Chernyshov.
Chernyshov played in the MHL, which is the KHL’s minor league affiliate.
Who is Igor Chernyshov?
| PLAYER | POSITION | HANDEDNESS | HEIGHT | WEIGHT |
| Igor Chernyshov | LW | R | 6’2″ | 192 lbs |
Chernyshov is a LW power forward who played half of the year in the MHL and KHL.
Chernyshov’s on-ice production
| YEAR | DRAFT RELATIVE | LEAGUE | TEAM | GP | G | A | P |
| 2022–23 | D-1 | KHL | Dynamo Moskva | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2022–23 | D-1 | MHL | MHK Dynamo Moskva “A” | 38 | 18 | 20 | 38 |
| 2023–24 | D+0 | KHL | Dynamo Moskva | 34 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 2023–24 | D+0 | MHL | MHK Dynamo Moskva “A” | 22 | 13 | 15 | 28 |
Chernyshov split the year between the KHL and MHL in his draft year. Though his KHL stats aren’t jaw-dropping, he was playing against men and by playing 34 games, he showed that he can compete in a big league. Considering his size and experience in the KHL, he might just be one of the more NHL-ready options available.
Chernyshov’s strengths
Skating
Chernyshov is an above-average skater, and to have that trait at his size is bound to get the attention of most NHL GMs. Chernyshov uses his skating to attack off the rush. A lot of the time, bigger hockey players aren’t able to have the speed needed to successfully create opportunities off the rush due to their slower skating style, yet that doesn’t seem to be much of an issue in Chernyshov’s game. Because of his speed, he is able to blow past defenders and get breakaway chances.
Compete
Chernyshov isn’t an elite sniper, however, he generates offence by not being afraid to skate into the dirty areas and crash the net. With the size that he has, being able to get in front of the net will really help him in his NHL career and allow him to clean up rebounds.
Hockey IQ
His passing is a pretty underrated aspect of his game. Chernyshov sees the game really well and seems to always find his open teammates. Having the hockey IQ that he has along with his off-the-rush playing style would make him a pretty dangerous player to defend on odd-man rushes.
Size
Of course, at 6’2″ and 192 lbs, his size is going to be one of his best traits. Chernyshov already has an NHL size and at only 18 years old, he will get much bigger. Getting into the greasy areas will be a tougher task for Chernyshov once he enters the NHL, but his current size gives him a bit of an upper hand over other draft-eligible players in developing that area of his game even further.
Chernyshov’s areas of improvement
Shooting
Despite his size and ability to get open to score goals, Chernyshov is more of a distributor. He doesn’t really pick corners, nor does he have an incredibly strong shot. That doesn’t mean he can’t score goals, but if Chernyshov is going to score, it’s probably going to be from right in front of the net. If Chernyshov can develop a quicker release and a more powerful shot, it will allow him to be a lot more dangerous in the offensive zone.
Chernyshov’s comparables
I see a little bit of Zach Hyman when in Igor Chernyshov. Hyman is a better goal scorer but both are able to use their size to score in greasy areas, along with saying at a quick pace to get chances off the rush. I also see some of Valeri Nichushkin in his skating game and being able to create plays off of rushes.
Summary
Chernyshov is a big player who has a solid frame and has great skating. He can use his big presence to get himself into the dirty areas to get a quick goal but he is also a dangerous player off the rush and can blow past a team’s defence with ease. He doesn’t have the best shot in the draft, but he is still able to put the back in the net if he can get a step past his opponent.
Risk: 2/5
Reward: 4/5
NHL Comparable: Valeri Nichushkin/Zach Hyman
Projection: Top 6 scoring winger
