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The Athletic's Corey Pronman listed Iskhakov as his 16th prospect in the NHL draft:
16. Ruslan Iskhakov, RW, CSKA-MHL
July 22, 2000 | 5-foot-8 | 152 pounds
GP: 33 | Goals: 6 | Points: 30 | Shoots: Left
Skating: 55
Puck Skills: 65
Physical Game: 20
Hockey sense: 65
Iskhakov has impressed me whenever I’ve watched him this season between international play and junior. Iskhakov was a significant riser, going from relative anonymity in the Slovakian U18 league to a top guy in his age group. He’s a tiny forward at 5-foot-8 and that might be generous, but his puck skills are fantastic. He can maneuver with the puck as well as most players in his age group. It’s not just his skills that stand out to me, though, his brain is also high-end, if not elite. He sees plays developing so well and can outsmart defenders with his hands and vision. He made some of the best passes I saw all season, and the way he improvises on the ice to get out of tough situations with his creativity is worth the price of admission. The major issue I have in his projection isn’t his size but rather he’s not a blazing skater, which isn’t ideal for a guy his size. He lacks a dangerous top gear but he does have above-average speed, he’s good on his edges and he can be elusive. He’s listed as a center by NHL Central Scouting but projects on the wing as I don’t love his two-way game. It’s actually plausible Iskhakov goes undrafted rather than even come close to being picked where I have him, but he also has massive potential.
16. Ruslan Iskhakov, RW, CSKA-MHL
July 22, 2000 | 5-foot-8 | 152 pounds
GP: 33 | Goals: 6 | Points: 30 | Shoots: Left
Skating: 55
Puck Skills: 65
Physical Game: 20
Hockey sense: 65
Iskhakov has impressed me whenever I’ve watched him this season between international play and junior. Iskhakov was a significant riser, going from relative anonymity in the Slovakian U18 league to a top guy in his age group. He’s a tiny forward at 5-foot-8 and that might be generous, but his puck skills are fantastic. He can maneuver with the puck as well as most players in his age group. It’s not just his skills that stand out to me, though, his brain is also high-end, if not elite. He sees plays developing so well and can outsmart defenders with his hands and vision. He made some of the best passes I saw all season, and the way he improvises on the ice to get out of tough situations with his creativity is worth the price of admission. The major issue I have in his projection isn’t his size but rather he’s not a blazing skater, which isn’t ideal for a guy his size. He lacks a dangerous top gear but he does have above-average speed, he’s good on his edges and he can be elusive. He’s listed as a center by NHL Central Scouting but projects on the wing as I don’t love his two-way game. It’s actually plausible Iskhakov goes undrafted rather than even come close to being picked where I have him, but he also has massive potential.
