With the No. 79 overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, the Vegas Golden Knights select forward Pavel Dorofeyev!
Dorofeyev, a native of Nizhny Tagil, Russia, is coming off a very good season in the MHL, Russia’s top junior league, scoring 17 goals and 31 points in 19 games for Magnitogorsk. Dorofeyev possesses a very good shot and was one of the more dangerous goal scorers in the MHL this past season. He’s no physical specimen (6-foot, 163 pounds) but he is dynamic in the offensive zone and even spent some time killing penalties in 2018-19.
The Golden Knights have never been shy about pursuing Russian players. From the Vadim Shipachyov saga to the Nikita Gusev signing, George McPhee, Kelly McCrimmon and company seem to admire Russian talent more so than a good portion of NHL clubs.
Why are some teams hesitant about Russian prospects? Well, the KHL.
Golden Knights third round pick Pavek Dorofeyev confirmed to me he has one more year on his KHL contract with Metallurg Magnitogorsk.
He said he will play in the KHL next year, try to keep improving and doesn’t know what the future holds after that.
— Jesse Granger (@JesseGranger_) June 22, 2019
Because so many Russian players choose to sign KHL contracts, that can delay their arrival to North America. And in a league where teams prefer immediate results, it’s not all that shocking that this can turn some teams off.
How do you feel about the Golden Knights’ selection of Pavel Dorofeyev with the No. 79 overall pick?
| Love it | 46 |
| It’s okay | 26 |
| Hate it | 7 |