2021 Draft Profile:
LW Alexander Kisakov, Dynamo Moskva MHL
Kisakov is the almost anachronistic player who I like right now, but I have concerns about how his abilities will play up at higher levels. There is no doubt this kid can score -- he tore up the MHL this season for 36 goals and 73 points in 61 games, and was one of the truly dominant forces in the entire MHL. This has contributed to some extraordinarily high rankings -- the Bob McKenzie TSN rankings see him just outside the first round at #34, while The Puck Authority have him as high as #23 overall.
Kisakov possesses some offensive talents which are undeniable. With the puck on his stick in the offensive zone, he's consistently dangerous. He's a slick passer with some creativity and very good vision. On the whole, his offensive awareness is outstanding -- this is certainly a player who knows how to create high-danger scoring opportunities out of thin air. He's also got a very hard and accurate shot with a quick release, making him a true dual threat. I can also call his puck-handling high-end, he's extremely elusive. He finds seams both with and without the puck -- he's all aces at finding the open man with a cross-ice sauce, and equally adept at finding the soft often spots when his teammates possess the puck.
This is all very exciting, but as stated there are some concerns. Kisakov is small, I'd say 5'9, and he might weigh just under 150 pounds. He's also not a particularly good skater. He has a hitch which negatively impacts his acceleration, and his top speeds are just okay. Though his shot is very good, he has a certain way he needs to shoot off his back leg to get the velocity, and often must turn his body in order to do so. This really hurts his release -- and although it is still quick enough to beat MHL defenders and goaltenders, he will not have this sort of time in the NHL. Kisakov does not like the physical stuff and can be forced to the perimeter by stronger defensemen, and he's pretty much a non-entity along the boards.
Ultimately, I feel Kisakov is an intriguing offensive prospect who is worth drafting, but if other teams are considering him in the 20s and 30s, he's just too much of an uncertainty to take so high. If he fell to the 4th round or later, I do feel Kisakov has upside and is a talent worth monitoring.