LA Kings: Five more defensemen to target in 2020 NHL Draft

4. Yan Kuznetsov

Measurements

• Height: 6′-4″
• Weight: 201 pounds
• Age: 18
• Shot: L

Production

• Named World Juniors Tournament All-Star
• 2019-2020: 2 G, 9 A (11 points) for UConn
• 2019-2020: 0 G, 1 A (1 point) for Russia U18 Team in World Juniors helping lead Team Russia to a gold medal
• 2018-2019: 0 G, 4 A (4 points) for Sioux Falls of USHL

Rankings

• #92 by ELITEPROSPECTS.COM
• #123 by FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS
• #30 by ISS HOCKEY
• #32 by TSN/CRAIG BUTTON
• #170 by MCKEEN’S HOCKEY
• #36 by NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING (NA Skaters)
• #62 by TSN/McKenzie

Breakdown

Yan Kuznetsov will physically punish the oppositions forwards, often observed forechecking guys parked in front of the net to clear the crease. Like Kleven, he’s a stay-at-home defenseman with some offensive upside. He’s an average skater, but he is mobile enough to be a force on the blue line. The Murmansk, Russia native is one of my favorite stay-at-home defensemen in this draft class, simply for the fact of how physical he is. Again, while not known for his offense, he has an absolute bomber from the top of the point.

Quotables

“He uses his strong lateral mobility and backward skating to maintain excellent gap control. Kuznetsov forces defenders to the outside and away from good shooting areas. If attackers don’t keep their heads up, he can explode into a hit.” – Ben Kerr/Last Words on Hockey

Pro Comparison

Seth Jones (NHL.com)