It’s that time of the year for The Win Column’s NHL Draft Rankings and Draft Profiles! The 2024 NHL Draft will be held on June 28 and 29 at The Sphere in Las Vegas.
Next up is the Russian winger Nikita Artamonov. The late 2005-born Russian is expected to go as early as 10th or as late as 51st. This deviation from his draft stock realistically results in him falling to somewhere in his mid-late 20s. Here’s what you need to know about the possible first-round pick.
Who is Nikita Artamonov?
| PLAYER | POSITION | HANDEDNESS | HEIGHT | WEIGHT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikita Artamonov | RW/LW | L | 5’11” | 187 lbs |
Current team(s): Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL) and Chaika Nizhny Novgorod (MHL)
Date of birth: November 17, 2005, Nizhnekamsk, Russia
Expected draft position: Mid-first, early second-rounder
Boisvert’s on-ice production
| YEAR | DRAFT RELATIVE | LEAGUE | TEAM | GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 | D-3 | Russia U16 | Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk U16 | 30 | 32 | 14 | 46 |
| 2021–22 | D-2 | MHL | Reaktor Nizhnekamsk | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 2022–23 | D-1 | MHL | Reaktor Nizhnekamsk | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| KHL | Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| MHL | Chaika Nizhny Novgorod | 41 | 11 | 18 | 29 | ||
| 2023–24 | D+0 | KHL | Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod | 54 | 7 | 16 | 23 |
| MHL | Chaika Nizhny Novgorod | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Artamonov first emerged on hockey radars from within the Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk system as a youth playing for their MHL team, Reaktor. A trade in August of 2022 then sent the Russian product to the developmental system of KHL club Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. There, he spent a large portion of last season fine-tuning his game with their MHL team, Chaika, to the tune of 29 points in 41 games.
This year, the story is a bit different as the 5’11” winger has spent the majority of his time with the big club in the KHL under the tutelage of Soviet hockey legend turned head coach Igor Larionov. Larionov trusted the young winger with big top-six minutes throughout the season, and he did not disappoint. However, after a first-round series loss to SKA St. Petersburg, the Nizhnekamsk-born forward was sent down for the remainder of the MHL playoffs. There he played quality hockey as almost a point per game player (10 in 11).
Now, the young Artamonov finds himself on the NHL draft radar as a top prospect available. Here’s what about his game makes him deserving of that spot.
Artamonov’s strengths
He is the prototypical playmaker with good senses, a decent skating base, and adjusting puck skills.
Senses
Immediately noticeable about Artamonov is his offensive inclinations. Both in breakout and transition with or without the puck, he is a crafty, creative decision-maker who has good on-ice vision that effectively identifies passing and play options. In all three zones, he shows great offensive instincts that can be something as simple as a pre-emptive stick lift in a puck race or even in his body positioning, where he establishes favorable puck protection that shields pucks from opposing forwards while limiting defenders’ options as he crosses the blue line.
In the offensive zone, he shows great poise with the puck, allowing him to wait for the best possible option. Once established in the o-zone, Artamonov’s positioning is stellar, too, as the Russian knows where he can be the most effective and has proven to be versatile as both a net-front screen and half-wall forward where he looks equally comfortable. He is a capable special teams contributor and facilitator, both as a screen and a half-wall threat, but it remains to be seen what role he would play on smaller NHL ice.
Compete level/Skating
The foundation of every player’s game is their compete level and skating, and these are aspects where Artamonov has capable NHL projectables. In the neutral zone and o-zone, he shows a high-quality motor. This motor is especially evident on the forecheck and backcheck, exerting defensive pressure and blocking lanes, making him a transitional defensive threat that can generate turnovers.
For his mobility, Artamonov has decent crossovers, ankle flection, and lower body posture that doesn’t take anything away from his game. Mechanically, his stride is nice and long, but with larger muscle mass, he can greatly increase his top speed and increase his push-off. His edgework is seamless, and his outside edgework is clean and allows for good stops and turns. More notably, his inside edges contribute to that clean stride and acceleration.
He plays with good pace and can change the pace of play, adding a bit of deception to his overall game. This pace and acceleration are evident in transition play as he occasionally shows flashes of this great acceleration, leading to quick and uncontested zone entries, which his team can then build off of. Most of his chances come off of the rush, and with his acceleration, vision, and creativity, it makes sense why. With more time and growth, he could be even more of a speed-based offensive threat, making him even more of an effective player.
Puck skills
Some of the passes Artamonov makes some NHLers would not dare attempt. He shows good short and long passing, which is especially impressive considering the ice size. Mixed with his good vision and pass identification, he is a breakout master, and although he needs to be a bit more consistent with his passing, he shows great promise.
However, there are moments when he makes incredible passing plays, and then the next shift, he chucks pucks away. This ill-sought pass timing can be worked out with a skills coach, so don’t be too devastated. He also shows promise when it comes to hands, puck protection, and finishing.
Endurance
The 5’11” winger is extremely active, doing lots of skating throughout a game. He looks just as energetic in his first shift as he does in his last shift. This Energizer Bunny is best exemplified in his last MHL game of the 2023–24 season, where his time on ice was 31:19. Talk about taking no days off.
Artamonov’s areas of improvement
Consistency is the main thing missing from Artamonov’s game right now. If/when he finds it, watch out. He shows very creative passing and playmaking elements to match a deceptive release, and once the young Russian can bring these on a more regular basis, he’ll be a more dangerous player.
From his 57%-on-goal shooting accuracy to throwaway passes, he has proven to be a capable scorer but just needs more refinement. Other elements that provide real limitations are his in-zone defensive play and defensive play anticipation, as he rarely leaves the top of the zone and regularly looks to cheat but doesn’t always succeed.
Artamonov’s physicality fundamentally isn’t a part of his game, but with increased physicality, he could be more effective on both the forecheck and backcheck. A more physical element could also help with board battles, as he currently has a 41% winning percentage.
Risk: 4/5
There are a couple of elements that make hockey fans a bit cautious around the winger. First—and most commonly with younger players—is the fear of them stagnating, but averaging quality top-six minutes in the KHL should help prevent that. Second, and far more concerning, is the fact that the Russian winger has signed a two-year extension with his current KHL club. This alone will likely scare away many NHL teams from selecting the young Russian, as this increases the likelihood that Artamonov stays in the KHL long term.
Reward: 3.5/5
If everything goes according to the (development) plan, Artamonov should develop nicely into a comfortable middle-six scoring winger, with possibly even top-six potential. Now, that might not sound ideal, but if history is anything to go off of, teams can–and certainly will–do worse with first-round pick selections than a top-nine forward.
Projection: High top-nine scoring winger
Skating: 3.5/5
Senses: 4/5
Compete Level: 4/5
Puck skills: 3.5/5
Shooting: 3/5
NHL Comparable: Matt Duchene, got the speed, the soft skill, and the vision.
Fit with the Flames: Artamonov would be unlikely to fit the Flames draft formula as he lacks the size, physicality, and more complete two way game that the organization historically likes to target. Could be a possible top 6 scoring line in their organizational future though.
With all of this being said, would you want to see the Calgary Flames draft Artamonov come draft day? Let us know in the comments.
