2023 BSH Community Draft Board, No. 20: Daniil But

Not everything is as it seems when it comes to Russian winger prospect Daniil But.

One of the top prospects that is considered to go in the first round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft is listed as a 6-foot-5, 203-pound forward that has been able to tower over his opposition in the Russian junior league, the MHL.

Typically, you just simply look at the fact that he\'s produced about a point per game in his draft year and that he is already taller than the average NHL player and most teams are licking their nasty lips at the thought that he is yet another lanky and talented player to hit North America. But\'s game goes beyond just the stat sheet and the height chart, though.

Pre-Draft Rankings No. 16 By Sportsnet No. 24 by EliteProspects No. 9 (European skaters) by NHL Central Scouting No. 25 by Bob McKenzie No. 26 by Scott Wheeler /The Athletic

Statistics But has been able to produce just like a whole lot of other typical first-round Russian talents. In juniors, he\'s capable of scoring a point per game and someone with But\'s tools, is able to have more goals than assists. He is clearly relied upon to be the finisher (and is sometimes the starter as well) of most scoring chances.

When he made his way to the KHL last season, the production was not there. He managed to score two goals and that\'s it, but it is extremely uncommon for even the best players that we know over here in the NHL, to be able to produce well in the KHL at 18 years old. Not even to mention that he most likely got bottom-line minutes or didn\'t even get used at all but was simply on the bench to hang out.

What’s to like? But\'s game in the offensive zone is sometimes frame-perfect. The way he is able to manipulate defenders and weave his way through traffic – especially considering his size – is certainly what makes him a unique prospect.

The way that he is able to get by players easily and then as soon as he hits a little bit of a snag or heavy coverage, lets off a shot no matter where he is on the ice or where the puck has positioned itself on his stick, is just so fun. He can rocket a shot from the slot or sneak his way in-tight to the net and backhand it through the goaltender – there is a variety to his shooting, no doubt.

His awareness is sometimes something to behold and could make him a projectable offensive talent, unfortunately there is one area that rises above all for any doubters.

What’s not to like? But is very good at a lot of things and a master of none, but one area where he really isn\'t close to a master is his skating. Among a lot of forwards projected to go in the first round, But might have the biggest trouble with his skating and getting around the ice effectively.

When he\'s close to the net, he\'s lethal, but getting there against more grown defensemen or forwards that know how to backcheck in a well-structured system, could cause him a whole lot of trouble.

It almost seems like if you just put But\'s brain inside a player that was 5-foot-11 or something, he would be much more projectable and could be drafted a heck of a lot earlier. His awareness, shot, passing, and other attributes are all there, but it\'s his big body that might be holding him back to really achieving his potential.

He is absolutely fascinating and it will be interesting to see what team wants to bank on But figuring out that one massive aspect of the sport, to then be a top-level winger.

How would he fit in the Flyers system? The Flyers forward group certainly could use But\'s size but that\'s only on paper. As we just mentioned, But doesn\'t play like a typical point-producing 6-foot-5 winger and shouldn\'t be considered as a physical player whatsoever.

He could add some offensive gifts and playmaking to the Flyers\' shot-heavy prospect pool, but beyond that it is just another winger that could or could not turn out. There is such a variance in results for a player like But that the Flyers of all teams most likely don\'t want to risk that.

Can the Flyers actually get him? And that lack of risk-taking is why I think the Flyers could get him with their second first-round pick at 22nd overall, or even an early second-rounder if they pull off another trade, but ultimately will not.

We haven\'t seen a draft from the current front office, so we don\'t really know, but the instincts are that if they\'re looking for forward talent in the late-first round, they will opt for players like Calum Ritchie, Riley Heidt, or Ethan Gauthier – much more \"safe\" players that might not have tons of flash but are much more projectable to be solid contributors at the professional level.

What scouts are saying The first thing that jumps out at you with But – once you get past the way he towers over everyone else on the ice – is just how coordinated, dextrous, and creative he is with the puck on his stick. His ability to chain difficult pass receptions into handling moves and handling moves into passes or shots is really quite remarkable. Not even just for someone his size, either. On top of that, But is a potent finisher, capable of getting his shot off on either leg, with a quick release, and almost textbook mechanical form. The way he pulls a puck back into his frame and leans on that stick to generate downforce into each release – it’s really impressive stuff. The most projectable element of the Russian winger’s game is undoubtedly his playmaking though. It often feels like But is thinking one, two, three steps ahead of his opponents, making subtle movements to open passing lanes, and setting his teammates up to find twine. When those lanes don’t open themselves up, But has the reach and the nimbleness to get around his opponents with hook and slip passes. He plays with pace, decisiveness, and skill as a distributor – 2023 Elite Prospect Draft Guide Scouts are drawn to him because of his size-skill combo and committed 200-foot game, and while he can look a little uncoordinated out there at times, he skates well for his size, his hands are nimble for his size, the draw is real and there are some definite tools there. He’s excellent on the wall in puck protection and also has some outside-in skill so that he can attack off of holds into the middle third. He’s got impressive shooting mechanics given how long his stick is, and he regularly pulls pucks into his feet to change his angle face-up against goalies. I love the way he shields pucks and waits for his opportunities to attack. While he’s got some work to do to get a little quicker from the jump in the game’s 10-foot races, he does have some power and balance through his stride to build upon and skates pretty well for his size and age. It’s hard to be a true top-of-the-lineup forward at his size, though, and I think he projects more as a complementary scorer who gives a lineup a bit of a different look. There’s a lot to work with though, for sure. – Scott Wheeler, The Athletic When you have a 6-foot-5 forward who can skate and shoot and handle the puck and make plays where do you even begin to describe him? There might not actually be one single trait that But has that is legitimately elite, but rather, it\'s his overflowing toolbox of very good traits that makes him so special. Watching him play is a real adventure, because you just never know what\'s going to happen next when he\'s on the ice. The first thing that you notice is the size, since it\'s nearly impossible to miss someone that massive when he comes over the boards. He then makes it even easier to notice him because he covers so much ice all the time, getting great extension in his skyscraper legs and really working hard to get them churning to build up momentum. The most joy, though, comes from watching him create with his hands, whether that\'s with a long sweeping move to get around a defender or some quick manoeuvring in congested traffic to maintain his possession. He\'s a major threat on both the rush and in the cycle because he\'s just so powerful and hard to contain, and you often feel bad watching defenders try and fail to do so. – McKeen\'s 2023 NHL Draft Guide With the first 20 picks made, we have to add one more name to the poll as we head into an interesting zone of the draft. Let\'s go with Russian defenseman Mikhail Gulyayev!

Gulyayev had a very busy season playing several games across three different leagues while playing in some international tournaments as well. Truth be told, I think he could have benefited from consistent time in one or two leagues as it felt like much of his season was getting acclimated to new teammates and situations. Still, Gulyayev showcased his offensive skill with 25 points in 22 MHL games. Gulyayev is a small but speedy defenseman who likes to activate and transitions the puck well. He’s not afraid to attempt difficult passes if it means it’s an opportunity to set up a scoring chance. There are some instances where he can be a bit too dialed in on the path when carrying the puck and not see better opportunities to distribute the puck, but he’s still a good distributor. Gulyayev has excellent 4-way mobility and uses this to defend the rush effectively. A big concern remains his size and in-zone defensive positioning and awareness. This area of his game needs a lot of work and will likely be the difference between being a capable top 4 defenseman vs. a fringe NHL/very good KHL player. – Dobber Prospects Who should be No. 21 on the Community Draft Board? Previously on the 2023 Community Draft Board...

Connor Bedard Adam Fantilli Matvei Michkov Leo Carlsson Will Smith Zach Benson Oliver Moore Dalibor Dvorsky Ryan Leonard Eduard Sale Axel Sandin-Pellikka David Reinbacher Nate Danielso Gabe Perreault Brayden Yager Matthew Wood Samuel Honzek Colby Barlow Andrew Cristall Daniil But ...

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