Prospect Info: #61 Nikita Okhotyuk D

[LastWordArmy]

In this report

2019 NHL Draft Scouting Reports: Prospects 81-90 - Last Word on Hockey

Click to read more...

 

[Emperoreddy]

Start

 

[Nico the Draft Riser]

I like this pick a lot. Kid looks like a great athlete with some fire in his competitiveness and attitude on the ice

Wanted defense with our first pick after 1. And this kid is defensively strong

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

dont know anyhting about him, but sounds like a shutdown LHD that can skate

exactly what we need

 

[Bologna 1]

Solid grab by all accounts

 

[MartyOwns]

i think there were higher upside prospects on the board...interesting pick, i guess they liked what they saw

 

[regulahbread]

Don't know much about this kid, but I have enough faith in the scouting staff that they could have drafted my not-quite 2-year-old nephew and I'd be cool with the pick.

By all accounts, like ZBC said, he's physical and mobile. I dig it.

 

[Blender]

I like it. Might have been bigger boom/bust guys on the board, but he seems like he has a very high floor as a defensive anchor.

 

[OmNomNom]

teammates with hoelscher. our scouts prob know him well

 

[Emperoreddy]

We don’t really have a D type like this in the system.

 

[Darkauron]

Yeah it is nice to get a D that isnt JUST soley offensive. Dont really have any D like him

 

[NJDevs26]

teammates with hoelscher. our scouts prob know him well

Not just teammates, bffs

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

gonna need to remember how to spell his name

OK-HOT-YUK

thats me when first tasting some food I don't like

 

[None Shall Pass]

Not just teammates, bffs

That's really heartwarming.

 

[glenwo2]

Not just teammates, bffs

Awwww.....how sweet.

Hope he finds success with us.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Okhotyuk may play a basic, unsexy game, but he does what he does well. He clears creases, wins in the corners, clears the zone cleanly with sharp outlet passing. He is very mobile for his 6'1-195 frame and plays with punishing physicality, yet has the intelligence and discipline to rarely take minor penalties.

I've been saying for months how the Devils need to get more defensemen who play a heavy, physical, shut-down style without sacrificing the ability to move the puck up ice. Okhotyuk, Misyul, Vukojevic and McCarthy will all be key components in addressing this so that, in the future, the Devils blueline will truly be one to be reckoned with.

 

[devilsblood]

Okhotyuk may play a basic, unsexy game, but he does what he does well. He clears creases, wins in the corners, clears the zone cleanly with sharp outlet passing. He is very mobile for his 6'1-195 frame and plays with punishing physicality, yet has the intelligence and discipline to rarely take minor penalties.

I've been saying for months how the Devils need to get more defensemen who play a heavy, physical, shut-down style without sacrificing the ability to move the puck up ice. Okhotyuk, Misyul, Vukojevic and McCarthy will all be key components in addressing this so that, in the future, the Devils blueline will truly be one to be reckoned with.

You and the Dev's were definitely on the same page.

 

[thethinglonger]

FWIW Okhotyuk's nickname is "The Russian Hunter" because he loves to dish out heavy hits

 

[Brock]

Some additional info:

I had Okhotyuk ranked 12th among OHL'ers
OHL Prospects: My Final Top 50 OHL Players for the 2019 NHL Entry Draft - Part 3: 30-11

He also received votes in my media/scout poll
OHL Prospects: Final Media/Scout Poll for the 2019 NHL Draft

 

[glenwo2]

FWIW Okhotyuk's nickname is "The Russian Hunter" because he loves to dish out heavy hits

Hope he learns to hit legally on the ice.

Things are not as they were back during Scott Stevens Era.

 

[TheDuke93]

FWIW Okhotyuk's nickname is "The Russian Hunter" because he loves to dish out heavy hits

That is f***ing awesome!!!!

 

[tr83]

Okhotyuk may play a basic, unsexy game, but he does what he does well. He clears creases, wins in the corners, clears the zone cleanly with sharp outlet passing. He is very mobile for his 6'1-195 frame and plays with punishing physicality, yet has the intelligence and discipline to rarely take minor penalties.

I've been saying for months how the Devils need to get more defensemen who play a heavy, physical, shut-down style without sacrificing the ability to move the puck up ice. Okhotyuk, Misyul, Vukojevic and McCarthy will all be key components in addressing this so that, in the future, the Devils blueline will truly be one to be reckoned with.

This.

It's been my complaint about the team since Sal and Volchenkov moved on. I thought Santini would be the guy that would fill a Salvador role, but I wonder what happened to him and his development. Even with him, the D was too soft in front of their own net. Schneider needs guys who keep the crease clear

 

[GeNeXt]

This.

It's been my complaint about the team since Sal and Volchenkov moved on. I thought Santini would be the guy that would fill a Salvador role, but I wonder what happened to him and his development. Even with him, the D was too soft in front of their own net. Schneider needs guys who keep the crease clear

Santini had some impressive hits back at BC, but I think he's always been a bit slender to play like that in the NHL. This kid as well as the other Dmen drafted today look to have much bigger frames in general.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

This.

It's been my complaint about the team since Sal and Volchenkov moved on. I thought Santini would be the guy that would fill a Salvador role, but I wonder what happened to him and his development. Even with him, the D was too soft in front of their own net. Schneider needs guys who keep the crease clear

What happened to Santini is he got penalties for breathing on people and it made him timid. Just joking of course (or is it?) but it was annoying how he got penalized for the tiniest things.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I really wanted Helleson, but from the sound of it I guess this kid plays a similar, low-risk, defense-first, game.