With the later rounds coming fast and furious, Sunny was right back on the clock and selected a big Russian Defenseman at pick 44. He stands 6’5″ and 187 lbs, starting the season in the KHL for Salavat Yulaev Ufa, however after 7 games he spent most of the season with Toros Neftekamsk, Salavat Yulaev’s MHL team (their AHL):
Shcherbakov profiles very similarly to another big Russian defenseman in the Devils system, as his skillset is largely predicated on 4-way mobility. He is also lauded for his composure
and the maturity in his game, and Byron Bader’s prospect model has him with a decent chance to become an NHLer:
Here is a quote from Elite Prospects Dylan Griffing on Shcherbakov:
With the pace of play always ticking upwards in modern hockey, a shutdown defenceman who eats up rushes with an elite range of motion could be a real difference maker. For us, that is one of the things that makes Shcherbakov a special prospect. EP Film Room
Here is his highlight reel from HSD:
One thing that is becoming clear is Sunny is targeting skating mobility and hockey IQ, and with Command and Vanhanen has already added some intriguing guys to the mix. He’s probably not going to light it up with points, but I can see a solid 2nd pair 2-way defenseman which is something we desperately need.
