When the season started, Alexander Zharovsky wasn’t on the radar, not even ranked by Central Scouting, but a strong second half raised him up draft boards. Central Scouting had him in the top five European players by the end of the season.
The Montreal Canadiens liked him enough to trade their two second-round picks, 41st and 49th, to move up to 34th overall to take him.
A quick look at his profile shows why. The thing you hear about Zharovsky right away is that he is a top-level offensive talent.
Birthplace: Klin, RUS
Date of birth: February 22, 2007
Shoots: Left
Position: Right Wing
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 163 lbs.
Team: UFA Jr. (Russia)
Zharovsky ended the season with 46 points in his final 29 games in the MHL after starting the year with six points in his first 16 MHL games. That second-half run even got him into some KHL playoff games at the end of the season and he should be expected to play there next season.
Elite Prospects calls him the most skilled puck handler in the draft outside North America. He’s daring and takes chances, but he can often make it work more often than not. He’s not just a puck-handler and creator of his own chances, he is seen as a top-end passer. Despite his size, he battles for pucks and can make plays off the wall.
He’s also a play-driver as can be seen in tracking that Lassi Alanen and Mitch Brown put together, showing that he’s more than just a highlight video on skates.
The reasons he was available at 34th overall despite everything said so far is because the question is whether he can translate his game higher once he moves up levels and outside of the junior league. He had an assist in seven games in the KHL playoffs, but as Canadiens fans know perhaps more than most, getting dressed for games doesn’t mean guaranteed ice time.
He’s not the best skater, but most scouting reports don’t see it as something that will hold him back, and he’s able to beat defenders one on one because of his edges.
He needs to improve his habits, but in terms of skill, there are people who think has the skill to have heard his name on Friday night in the first round. He needs to develop and put on some weight, but he’s not just seen as a perimeter player. There are some qualities that his late-season push can see him become a very good and well-rounded NHL player. The above chart shows a good ability to retrieve and fight for pucks anywhere on the ice, including his own zone.
Rankings
Bob McKenzie: #35
Elite Prospects: #42
Hockey Prospect: #24
Craig Button: #36
Corey Pronman: #49
Scott Wheeler: #41
Will Scouch: #61
Some scouting reports say that he’s a winger that makes his line-mates better, which is a common refrain we have heard from Canadiens management over recent weeks — that you don’t need to be a centre to lead a line.
The Canadiens have enough stockpiled players, prospects, and draft picks that this is a swing they can more than afford to take, and he might be able to fit in nicely on a top-six role alongside Ivan Demidov if all goes well.
