2018 Top 25 Under 25: #21 Yegor Korshkov

In 2016 the Toronto Maple Leafs held the 31st pick in the 2016 draft. This wasn’t the worst first-round pick like it is now, but the best second-round pick (the arbitrary line demands attention). All eyes were on Toronto as Alex DeBrincat sat in the crowd, waiting for his name to be called as he wasn’t drafted the night before. He had been discussed as a surefire bet for the first round, and falling to round two seemed like a gift for the Maple Leafs. When the Maple Leafs stepped to the podium, they said the name everyone was expecting:

Yegor Korshkov.

The Maple Leafs looked high and low for their 31st pick and chose a player who had just played his first full season in the KHL, but who had the majority of the hockey world asking who is Yegor Korshkov?

Two years later, he’s still not a well known commodity, having spent the past two seasons in the KHL with Lokomotiv and chosing to stay put for 2018-19.  Over the past two years in Russia, Korshokov has grown on Lokomotiv’s men’s team, staying on one team in one league, unlike others who bounce from the top level to the junior level and all stops in between. He did return to junior in 2017 after the KHL season was over to play in the playoffs.

He’s grown from bottom sixer to a player that Lokomotiv trusts in every situation. He’s on the penalty kill where his speed and long reach (you know what they say about guys who are 6’4”; they have long arms) can be used to best advantage. He’s on the power play, moving the puck, making excellent passes, like this one from 16-17 (it’s hard to find recent clips of him, it seems his full KHL season wasn’t as popular to clip):

He’s been described as a player who is not afraid to get physical either, playing in the corners and along the boards. He seems to be the winger everyone wants on their team, so the question we have is: How much are the Leafs willing to pay to bring him over?

Yego Korshkov via eliteprospects

He played last season with former Maple Leaf Staffan Kronwall as his captain, and another former Leaf in Brandon Kozun on the forward corps with him. Kozun was taking up some top-line time, and since he isn’t signed for next season, there’s hope. This is what Katya had to say about him in April after he re-signed with Lokomotiv:

Korshkov plays a secondary scoring line role on Lokomotiv, and has seen his usage gradually get tougher as he and the rest of his young line have gotten better at playing in the defensive zone. He’s a much bigger and more confident skater, and is very fast for someone 6’4”. He puts that height to use on the PK, where his reach is valuable. He plays some second unit power play, but while his offensive game is a lot of playmaking from the halfboards and shooting in close, he doesn’t seem to be a natural on the power play the way Andreas Johnsson is.

Lokomotiv made a coaching change, and late in the season Korshkov’s linemates changed a little, although he still played as the third line a lot of the time. He seemed to respond to the changes with a much better second half than first half, but for the second year in a row, the points dried up in the playoffs. I think he needs a new challenge, but he can get that on Lokomotiv with a bigger role. So far they have not extended Brandon Kozun, so it’s possible there is finally a top line winger spot opening up on the team. If not, at least a full-time second line role is crucial to his development.

Looking for words from the resident Korshkov expert again, Katya wrote this in February, comparing his development path to Andreas Johnsson’s:

The development value of a European men’s league is a two-edged sword. For players good enough to play there at 18 or 19, they get much, much tougher competition and dramatically smarter teammates to play with. They learn more than they will in any country’s junior league. But when a player isn’t elite, just very good for a 21 year old, then what are they? A project to develop, or a guy on a roster somewhere playing a role?

Yegor Korshkov was good enough to hit the KHL very young, and they do that less than the Swedes do. This year, with many more teams to fill, the KHL have 10 players 19 or under who have played at least 10 games. Only one of them is any good: Eeli Tolvanen.

In the SHL, they have 27 players under 19, and while only one is s star, Rasmus Dahlin, several are at least credible roster players. When you move up to 19 year olds, there are more in both leagues, but the SHL has many more playing meaningful ice time.

Korshkov made the KHL at 18. And he wasn’t very good in his first year, playing 24 games, but he improved. At first.

You don’t get any more stuck on a shot rate than the identical one two years running. So, if we allow that the KHL is a harder league with better goalies, and I think it’s fair to say that Korshkov gets less power play time, although that’s a guess, his lower points [than Johnsson’s SHL results] aren’t concerning, but that’s not the level of shooting he needs to have to make you think he’ll be an NHL player someday.

Much like Johnsson, he’s playing on a good team (maybe not a top-rated one who will win it all, however) and he’s playing exactly the same role at 21 he had at 20. He really looks like he has stagnated, but then so had Johnsson.

He’s a player not many know a lot about firsthand, who’s hard to find a lot of video for, and I voted him 11th? How could I put a player up there so high? Most of my information comes from Katya’s European prospect reports and other stories on him, since we turn to her for the European news and reports. I followed along all season seeing his growth and the trust he gets from his team, being put into important roles in a very high level league, and it has me convinced he’s someone who will come into North American a still relative unknown and make a huge impact. I want to be able to say I told you so, even if I can’t explain why.