NHL Prospect Roundup: Shakir Mukhamadullin can be a big part of the Sharks’ future

Steven Ellis
Steven Ellis
NHL Prospect Roundup: Shakir Mukhamadullin can be a big part of the Sharks’ future
Credit: KHL

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The NHL Trade Deadline is just a few days away. And while no huge prospect has been moved, there’s been a few decent ones that have changed homes.

One that comes to mind is Shakir Mukhamadullin, one of the key pieces in the Timo Meier deal. The big KHL defenseman was going to be stuck in New Jersey’s defensive logjam. Plus, his pro experience could come in handy for a San Jose roster that needs some significant help.

He’ll kick off this week’s NHL Prospect Roundup, which features a few other recently traded prospects:

KHL

– Ahead of the 2020 NHL Draft, scouts were split about Shakir Mukhamadullin. Nobody will argue that he wasn’t skilled, and, at 6-foot-4, he had NHL size. But his decision-making was very questionable, and when he was bad, he stood out for all the wrong reasons. But I think many of those concerns have died down over the years. Mukhamadullin is starting to find his way onto the scoresheet, he looks more comfortable distributing the puck and he’s taking control of the overall flow more than he did in the past. No other drafted U-21 defenseman has more points than his 25 this year. The expectation is he’ll come over to North America once his season is over, and he could end up stepping into a full-time role with the San Jose Sharks next season. If Erik Karlsson ends up sticking around, he could be a solid mentor for a young, big player who takes a ton of risks. To me, Mukhamadullin has boom-or-bust potential here. At least in San Jose, he’ll get the ice time he needs to develop.

AHL

– If the Buffalo Sabres make a big splash at the NHL Trade Deadline, it better not include forward Jiri Kulich. The AHL’s player of the week had six points in a weekend that saw the Rochester Americans grab three wins and score 20 goals. Kulich leads all Amerks rookies with 15 goals and 33 points while taking a team-leading 101 shots. His recent run of 16 points in his past 13 games has made him the most dangerous U-20 player in the league. Kulich is going to be a high-output scorer in Buffalo one day, and with the way he’s playing, he might not need to wait much longer.

– Will Raphael Lavoie turn out to be something with the Edmonton Oilers? We’ll see, but the 22-year-old has shown some big progress this year. After scoring 13 goals and 26 points last season, Lavoie is on pace for 27 goals and 45 points this year in his second full AHL season. The 6-foot-4 forward has six points in his past four games, highlighted by a recent four-goal effort. If Lavoie makes it to the NHL, it’ll likely be in a bottom-six role, but you can do much worse than having a goal-scoring power forward deep in the lineup.

– With Keith Kinkaid now out of Providence, keep a close eye on Boston Bruins prospect Kyle Keyser. After he was seemingly overtaken by Brandon Bussi this year, Keyser’s playing time has been limited. But he’s been excellent when called upon, and the 23-year-old has a 7-2-2 record in 13 games with a .914 save percentage. His last start was a loss, but he otherwise has been lights out most of the way and has helped strengthen Boston’s pipeline. Now, with just him and Bussi sharing the crease, perhaps Keyser can finally start to find more consistency along the way. It’s hard to outdo what Bussi’s doing with a 16-2-4 record and wicked .930 save percentage, but Keyser has brought solid value since becoming an undrafted free agent back in 2017. At some point, I can see him pushing for backup starts in the NHL.

QMJHL

– Newly minted St. Louis Blues prospect Zach Dean has been on a bit of a role recently. He had four points in two games this weekend and 11 in his past six outings with the Gatineau Olympiques. The tenacious forward is fourth on the team in scoring, but missed time with an injury and his World Junior Championship run with Canada, so it’s actually quite impressive what he has managed with 51 points in 39 games. The 20-year-old center plays at a quick pace, he’s creative and he can make effective passes at top speed. And, yes, he’s quite physical and likes to play on the edge. He’ll be a fan favorite in St. Louis once he cracks the roster.

WHL

– After an explosive draft season, Winnipeg Ice forward Conor Geekie isn’t on pace to blow his previous career bests out of the water by any means. He’s been outshone by Buffalo’s Matthew Savoie and 2023 draft star Zach Benson, but he’s still getting the job done, recording six points over his past three games, including a three-goal, four-point effort against the Edmonton Oil Kings on Sunday – the best stretch of his season. Geekie is an energetic two-way forward with a big 6-foot-4, 203-pound frame that can dominate shifts. He’ll put up good points at the NHL level, but the Arizona Coyotes‘ first-rounder projects more as a second-liner behind Logan Cooley.

OHL

– When Sasha Pastujov is playing hot, he’s unstoppable. The 19-year-old winger had seven points in three games over the weekend, including his seventh four-point effort of the season with the Sarnia Sting. A third-round pick by the Anaheim Ducks, Pastujov has been incredible since leaving the USNTDP to play in the OHL, with the 19-year-old on pace for 100 points in 60 games. The Ducks are set to land a high-end prospect at the 2023 NHL Draft, whether it be Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli or Leo Carlsson. But for now, Pastujov is the top forward prospect in the system.

– Josh Bloom was profiled last month after putting up some solid numbers in the OHL. Now, he’s back in the spotlight again after being involved in a 1-for-1 deal that saw the Buffalo Sabres send him to the Vancouver Canucks. It was a puzzling deal on Buffalo’s part – he seemed to show significant progress since getting selected in 2021. Now he’s a Canuck and instantly becomes one of the team’s better prospects. Bloom should end with close to 70 points at the end of the year with North Bay, which is solid. At this point, he projects to be a solid energy forward with good size and the knack for the net – someone who can play a decent bottom-six role.

–Shane Wright is no stranger to this series, especially after bouncing around earlier this year. But after missing a couple of weeks with an injury that saw him put a seven-game point streak on hold, he returned with a bang last week. The Seattle Kraken prospect had four points in two games with Windsor, including a three-point effort against Kingston. One criticism I have is I’d like to see him shoot more at 5-on-5. That’s something that’s been an issue all year long. Still, Windsor is happy to have him.

NCAA

– Alex Laferriere has built a solid college career with Harvard University, with the 21-year-old winger sitting 18th in NCAA scoring with 16 goals and 36 points in 29 games. The Los Angeles Kings prospect has benefited from playing in a lineup with Sean Farrell (Montreal Canadiens) and Matt Coronato (Calgary Flames), but Laferriere has been effective as a shooter and a passer. If the Kings make a move at the deadline, you’d have to wonder if he’d be someone a team targets.

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