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Who is Anton Silayev?
Anton Silayev was included Elite Prospects The 6-foot-7, 207-pound defenseman was born in Sarov, Russia, on April 11, 2006. Silaev’s offensive statistics are not outstanding: 8 points in 41 games for Chaika Nizhnny Novgorod in the MHL in 2022-23, and 11 points in 63 games for Torpedo Nizhnny Novgorod in the KHL last season. However, Silaev’s strength is defense, and the tall defenseman has averaged a point per game. 14:54 min. In the KHL, it was 16:43 in the playoffs.
These averages may be a bit inaccurate, as Silayev has received more playing time throughout the season, averaging less than 20 minutes at times. Getting that much KHL playing time in a player draft season is no mean feat. No wonder Silayev has earned comparisons to Viktor Hedman, or as Logan Horn of Hockey Writers puts it, “Chris Tanev But he’s more aggressive and five inches taller than the others.”
Where does Anton Silayev rank?
NHL Central Scouting Survey (EU skaters) ranked #1
What do others think of Anton Silayev?
Mynhldraft.com Silayev’s comments are well summarized. Here are some of them:
Corey Plonman – The Athletic – March 12: “His offensive ability won’t blow you away, but it’s good enough to carry the puck in the NHL. He can provide enough possessions, paired with elite defensive ability, to potentially become a No. 1 defenseman one day.”
Jason Bucara – Sportsnet – February 27: “Players with Silayev’s size, skating skills and agility are rare. Silayev has a chance to become a top two-way/defensive defender at the NHL level.”
Rachel Doerrie—ESPN – April 2: “He skates very well and shows great agility in defensive transitions and moving in the offensive zone. Silaev seems to be living up to his potential with his talent and physical tools.”
As one would expect for a player who could be a potential early first-round pick, there are a number of other scouting reports on Silayev. Here are some featured quotes:
Logan Horn Hockeywriters.com:
His defensive abilities have also continued to improve this year, and Silayev already looks like a strong force on the back line with his size, physicality, and smooth skating for his size. He stays well spaced on defensive sprints, and for a 17-year-old playing in a high-end professional league, he is able to time and know when to knock the puck out of an opponent’s hands with a punch or a quick jab, which is impressive.
Ben Kerr Low-throughput operating system:
Many players his size are a bit clumsy on the ice and need to improve their skating skills. But that is not the case with Silayev because not only is he big, he also skates very well. His strides are long and powerful, which gives him very good top speed in both directions.
All scouting reports seem to indicate that this player has excellent defensive ability, excellent speed and agility, especially for his size, and has excellent physical tools to become a top NHL defenseman one day. While Silayev may not play on the power play unit at the highest level, the giant defenseman has played a few minutes with an extra player in the KHL. As Ben Kerr writes:
He focuses on rigorous defense and doesn’t take many risks on offense. This may have something to do with the fact that he is a 17-year-old who has played a lot of time in the KHL. That being said, Torpedo isn’t afraid to let him play on the power play or give him the opportunity to play with talented forwards, so the hope is that his confidence will grow and he will achieve more in the coming years.
A short video
My point of view
The last video called Silayev a wild card, which I think is fair. Some commentators believe Silayev could challenge for the top spot in this year’s draft, although that seems unlikely, while others think he could slip as low as the tenth pick by the Devils. If Silayev somehow ends up on the roster when the Devils take the podium, he’d be my top pick. Defensive players with his skill set and skating ability don’t come around often, and Silayev would be a perfect complement to the more offensive-minded defensemen on the Devils roster in a few seasons.
I do think it’s highly unlikely that Silayev will remain at #10 on this list, but to paraphrase the famous Dumb and Dumber meme, “You told me there was a chance.” Yes, there is a chance. As small as it may be.
Your opinion
Now it’s time to tell us what you think. Leave your comments below.
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