2024 Draft Profile:
RW Igor Chernyshov, Moskva Dynamo KHL
Before I begin my assessment of one of my favorite players from the 2024 draft class, I'd like to give credit where it's due and point out that
@Guadana has done some really great write-ups of Chernyshov (see page 16 of this thread) and, just as importantly,
@Guadana really likes Chernyshov's hair.
That being said, Igor Chernyshov is the perfect two-way, versatile, all-situations power forward to pair with any line-driving forward at the top of your line-up.
What immediately stands out about Chernyshov is how fast and hard he plays every single shift. He is a big kid at 6'2-200 who skates extremely well and features one of the best compete levels I've ever seen from a draft-eligible MHL forward. Though he is not what you would call "proactively" physical -- which is to say he isn't always looking for the big hit or post-whistle scrums -- he is exceptionally effective at using his big, strong frame to win tight puck battles, to function as an absolute terror on the forecheck, to crash creases, and to protect pucks in possession. In a nutshell, this is not a kid who uses strength as an intimidation tactic, but he plays a fast and furious bull-in-a-china-shop style and heaven help you if you are between him and the opposing net.
Chernyshov's entire offensive game is based on getting the puck towards high-danger areas and the opposing net. While many young, skilled forwards spend a lot of their time on the perimeter -- Chernyshov is always trying to funnel everything towards the opposing goal as quickly as possible -- the puck, his own body, and maybe your body too if you're an opposing defender trying to stop him.
Chernyshov is not only extremely fast for a big man, but also features very soft and skilled hands and an astounding deft passing touch. With the combination of his high-end stick-handling and ability to shield weaker defenders with his frame, he possesses an almost uncanny ability to bust open high-danger scoring or set-up chances out of the seemingly narrowest of openings. He is a very smart player on both sides of the puck, and his decision making allows him to extend plays where lower-IQ players would tend to try to force them.
With all of these skills, I must stress again that Chernyshov's stand-out ability is his compete level, which is the highest level of elite I can describe. This kid is so dogged both on and off the puck, it's as if he's never fully off-camera in any film you watch of him. He's just always there wreaking havoc, in all three zones, in space or in tight.
It's also important to re-state that this is a versatile player. I've seen him line up at both wings and even at center -- though we would have to see him more up the middle to assess what his potential at that position might truly be. He is a true 200-foot player who is capable as a net-front grizzly bear on the power play, or on the penalty kill.
I can't state this enough, Igor Chernyshov is a special player. No, he is not an elite-vision Demidov or elite-sniping Eiserman or elite-dangling Catton, but he is skilled and fast enough to play alongside the highest-caliber talent and offers a power/interior element which will open up space for any stars he skates alongside. I have no idea whatsoever why his consensus ranking is somewhere in the #16-20 range when he is clearly always ranked behind players he is generally superior to, though the fact he plays in Russia could have something to do with it.
Igor Chernyshov sits comfortably in my own top 10 rankings, and I have no fear or apprehension in stating this. His complete game and high-end intangibles give him an extremely high floor as an elite NHL 3rd liner, while his complimenting speed and very good skill set gives him a ceiling as a guy putting up great numbers on an NHL 1st line. In some ways I'd compare him to Zach Hyman, a player who has shown the ability to perfectly compliment and get the best out of any high-level center you pair him with. He's sure to be a fan-favorite for whichever organization drafts him.
