Valeri Nichushkin
Ht/Wt: 6′ 4″/202 lbs
Position: LW/RW
Team: Chelyabinsk (RUS)
via mynhldraft.com
A strong-bodied center forward who is not afraid to get into the dirty areas to create scoring chances. Upsides include great skating ability, very good balance on his skates allow him to utilise his full skating potential and his star-quality vision of his surroundings allow him locate teammates with precision passing accuracy. Not many downsides to his game but shot accuracy could be improved. An NHL comparison that best suits him would be Jordan Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes who uses his big body to make plays but also incorporates his stickhandling ability into the mix which allows him to score goals. Look for Valeri Nichushkin to be a rising star in the years to come, potentially being a top 10 draft pick for the 2013 NHL Draft and also representing his country in many international tournaments to come.
Submitted by: Steven Campo – Dec. 10th, 2012
via thescoutingreport.com
The package of size, skill, and sheer dynamic ability that Valeri Nichushkin brings to the table has some considering him as not only a Top 3 talent, but someone who could be worthy of top honours. The
Chelyabinsk native made a big splash on the world stage over Christmas showing flashes of the dynamic skillset many NHL teams will covet. Nichushkin is particularly strong off the rush, similar to players like Rick Nash. He does a great job of attacking lanes and driving his body through defenders to the net where an accurate shot and quality puck handling make him an impressive threat. Consistency is the main area of concern with his game at this point in time.
ISS Top 30#12 Valery NichushkinHands are as dominating as his size. Ability to takeover a game. Has that "Wow" factor that scouts like.
— ISS Hockey (@ISShockey) December 8, 2012