Ok fair enough. Though being Afinogenov in style doesn't equal him production wise when you are a 6'4 giant, it would more closely equal Rick Nash. Which would be quite ok for a #10 pick. Just seeing whether fans who watch a lot of Russian hockey see him that way.
Anyone know what his work ethic is like? Doesn't seem to be much on it, except that he likes to play physical, and sometimes takes off shifts. But that's in game. Him going over to spend all summer in the US says he has some dedication.
My sense is that he will be a big goal scorer in the NHL, maybe early on. Yes, CSKA is right when he describes Nichushkin's favorite move, but my opinion is that he continues to use it because so far, no one has effectively stopped it. He scored 6 goals in the Gagarin Cup playoffs of the KHL, some of them spectacular, against full-grown men who were fighting to win the prize, just a couple of months after he had turned 18. I first read about him when he was 14, and scoring ridiculous numbers of goals in the Ural Region. He has been, in many ways, in a class by himself at every level at which he has played.
His game has lacked discipline, and when he played at the World U18 tournament this spring, he had a tendency to hold on to the puck too much and put on a one-man show. But in my opinion, when you look at a guy who has his physical attributes, with unusual strength and balance on his skates, outstanding hands, a goal scoring knack, and is as physically tough as he is, Rick Nash is certainly a good analogy. Unless his head fails to make the journey with him, I expect him to be at least a 20-goal scorer this year.