Toggle sidebar

Prospect Info: LW Viktor Neuchev -- Taken 74th overall in 2022

CowbellConray

CowbellConray

Registered User
Sep 8, 2010
2,354
1,310
Love it - the type of player you should be taking early 3rd. Lots of skill, needs to work on the skating but if he can add a gear he has everything else
 
  • Like
Reactions: SECRET SQUIRREL
Joey Banana

Joey Banana

Registered User
Mar 9, 2012
445
280
another goalscorer!

Matt Savoie in a few years, picking who to pass to
larry-david-unsure.gif
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: Stevie J, Vito_81, displacedsabre and 1 other person
Chainshot

Chainshot

Give 'em Enough Rope
Sponsor
Feb 28, 2002
150,866
100,748
Tarnation
As was mentioned by @Ace , 38th by Black Book:

Viktor Neuchev is a ball of chaotic energy that brings an unrelenting play style to the ice. His team Avto Yekaterinburg remained relevant for a playoff position despite being an incredibly average team, but it wasn’t due to their depth, it was due to one player, and you guessed it, it was this player. He finished with 24 more goals and 27 more points than anyone else on his team. He was largely responsible for some of the most impressive comeback performances we viewed this season. Neuchev was somewhat alone on his team as far as talent goes, and if he played on one of the better teams in the MHL, we feel his production would have been far closer to Yurov’s and Trikozov’s in terms of his assist rates.
Click to expand...

Unlike Yurov who plays a more efficient brand of hockey, and unlike Trikozov who lacks a game altering pace and commitment to detail, Neuchev makes up for his toolkit with a dictating, overwhelming play style. There’s a tenacity that's only matched by his offensive creativity. Neuchev works on a 360 degree plane, using every inch of the ice surface on the angle required to make a play. He blends his skill into his lateral movement as he crosses the offensive line, using manipulative off looks and exaggerated postural fakes to bait opposing defenseman into taking the wrong lane against him. His puck-placing skill set allows him to create trap dekes that see him maneuver his playmaking around sprawled out triangles.
Click to expand...

And the crux of the biscuit -

When comparing his puck skills to someone like Isaac Howard who is similarly sized, Neuchev shows a better understanding of how to stay in motion, seamlessly maintaining his stride as he works in unison with his hands. He’s also adept at incorporating his frame to remain in possession. He has an innate understanding of how to react to physical pushoffs, and is relentless at trying to acquire a positional advantage during board battle sequences, or when getting weighed on. He’s consistent with generating angular advantages by recognizing pressure dynamically, giving him advanced read and react playmaking on both his forehand and backhand. To give you a sense of how inventive he can be, we’ve seen him streak through the neutral zone faceoff dot, and while receiving a pass, in one motion use Maxim Afinogenov’s 360 degree two touch deke to the opposite side of the opposing player. He didn't just successfully make this move, he timed it perfectly and used it within a specific space on the ice that enhanced his skating route back towards the offensive end.
Click to expand...

There is more if anyone wants.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Intermission, SECRET SQUIRREL, WeDislikeEich and 4 others
Chainshot

Chainshot

Give 'em Enough Rope
Sponsor
Feb 28, 2002
150,866
100,748
Tarnation
EP had him at 75:

Viktor Neuchev thrives in the chaos that his game creates. He’s a fast handler who likes to demonstrate his talents; a showoff and an entertainer with the puck. He attacks defenders most shifts, constantly pulling off creative and unexpected moves. We came to especially appreciate his ability to veil his passes this season. It seemed like every single one of his feeds to the slot was prepared with a head or shoulder fake that would send confused defenders covering the wrong option. Our issue with his game was its inefficiency. Some games, there were just as many turnovers as highlight-reel plays. More than that, it’s very likely that Neuchev’s skating – particularly his lack of ankle flexion – won’t support the type of dangle-heavy game he is playing right now as he rises up hockey’s ranks. He will lack the separation speed to pull off many of his moves against better opponents. “He’s a very individualistic player, wanting to be the main focus of every play,” Elite Prospects Russia regional scout Dylan Griffing wrote in a December 14th, 2021 report. While there is a significant chance that Neuchev's playstyle won't carry over to the NHL, his combination of fast processing ability, manipulative playmaking, handling and shooting skills, and his larger stature will interest many teams.
Click to expand...

BB has some quotes on him fixing his skating stride too:

There is a fundamental drawback within the projection of Neuchev translating his game though, and that’s due to having an average toolkit. He’s listed in some places a lot larger than he we think actually is. E feel that he’s much closer to 5’11 than he is 6’2, and this is complicated by a limited skating base. He’s not an awful skater by any means, and he did gain strength as the season progressed, correcting for his ankle eversion which left him lacking three step area quickness in the earlier portions of the season. Yet, there’s still a lack of posture. He has difficulty keeping his back and shin parallel, he’s mechanically rigid when he needs to suddenly dash laterally off his centerline, and there’s a fundamental lack of hip drive. He’s not very powerful relative to his frame and lacks a true separating gear.
Click to expand...
 
Fjordy

Fjordy

Registered User
Jun 20, 2018
15,344
8,261
Trikozov: 35 GP - 23 + 22
Perevalov: 42 GP - 25 + 25
Neuchev: 61 GP - 40 + 27
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Ad

Latest posts

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

Top Bottom