Usually, whenever we get the pleasure of talking about a new, exciting Russian prospect, there is an inherent wonder about the naturalization process that their game will have to undergo once they start playing in North America. Ilia Morozov is not one of those players.
Coming up through the American AAA system and the USHL for the two years prior to his NCAA debut, Morozov has been playing on North American ice for much of his development. He burst onto the scene this year with a very productive year for a Miami University (OH) Redhawks team that struggled the season before he got there. Morozov played top line minutes for basically the entire year, and took the experience in stride, getting better as the season went on, and increasing his draft stock leaps and bounds.
As one of the youngest players in college hockey, playing alongside 25-year olds with four years of experience, he consistently looked like he belonged, and rounded out his game in a way that nobody really saw coming. He had a two game stretch against R.P.I early in the season where he looked absolutely dominant and put up three goals and six points, and put himself on the map after a middling USHL season. Despite not having the marquee linemates that he would’ve at a Michigan State or a North Dakota, Morozov was able to put up really impressive offensive numbers for a freshman, and ended up outscoring some more marquee prospects playing on better teams, like Oscar Hemming and Tynan Lawrence.
Pre-draft rankings
Ranked #21 by Elite Prospects
Ranked #33 by The Athletic (Corey Pronman)
Ranked #24 by Sportsnet (Jason Bukala)
Ranked #24 by The Athletic (Scott Wheeler)
Statistics
What’s there to like?
Morozov possesses a high-level motor that keeps his floor at a reasonably high level, even when his offense isn’t clicking. He works hard all over the ice, plays his best in the most high-traffic spots on the ice, and doesn’t seem intimidated at all.
That would be impressive for any draft eligible player at any level, but for a 17-year old playing in the NCAA, it holds a little more weight. We saw more marquee draft eligible names like Tynan Lawrence struggle to find their rhythm in their first college seasons, and that’s realistically not even a surprise when you consider what those younger players are up against. But the fact that Morozov looked so comfortable, especially with a non-traditional hockey school like Miami of Ohio, is enough to raise eyebrows on it’s own.
Morozov’s archetype is a coach’s dream: a 6 ‘3, 200-pound centerman who can play with pace whilst still prioritizing his own end. He uses his size well to create space, and isn’t afraid to throw his weight around in the corners either. He uses his long stick to disrupt passing lanes, and has the poise and vision to play in basically every important situation that could arise throughout the course of a game.
And while his 200-foot game is what excited scouts initially, he was able to find a role on offense as a puck-mover as well. His straight-line speed is pretty impressive, and he got more and more used to breaking into the zone and creating off the rush as he got more acclimatized to the NCAA.
But his play around the net is what stands out the most. He has the size and willingness to get to the front of the net, and the requisite skill to get the puck in the back of the net with regularity. Morozov can easily be projected as a netfront power play specialist, with a capability to also rotate below the goal line and make plays.
While the Redhawks eventually crashed back down to earth and struggled a bit to end the year, Morozov was still a bright spot, even against tough opposition like the University of Denver. In those more contested games, his activity and defensive work rate still made him a net positive, and that ability to continue to be impactful even when offensive opportunities aren’t plentiful can be indicative of future NHL success. While there’s only a 36 game sample size of Morozov being potentially NHL caliber, that raw potential for him to keep improving as he ages makes him one of the more intriguing and unique prospects set to come out of the NCAA this year.
What’s not to like?
While Morozov has speed to burn, his stride is still quite stilted. He skates with a pretty straight posture, and as it stands he doesn’t really have the greatest edge work in the world either. He’s a raw prospect, so that’s to be expected, but it’s not as if his offensive toolkit is deep and varied to the point where he should be expected to become a team’s top scorer either.
Morozov’s hands are also a little rough, with his stickhandling, while effective, looking a little choppy at times. He doesn’t necessarily have one elite offensive trait that he can rely upon at all, really, and most of his offense comes either from off the rush, or in front of the net. As a solo creator set up in the offensive zone, Morozov isn’t necessarily going to blow your mind with individual feats of playmaking.
So when teams discuss taking Morozov in the first round, a large piece of the discussion will be centered around whether or not the team’s development staff thinks they can extract elite offensive production out of a player that has only ever really had one year of high level play. While Morozov could still be a very successful NHLer without that next step, perhaps even becoming a 4C or 3LW, it would drastically reduce his ceiling to the point where a team would feel a bit underwhelmed about selecting him with their highest pick.
How would he fit in the Flyers’ system?
Yes and no. On one hand, the Flyers are definitely in need of the sort of potential power play weapon that Morozov could be, and another high floor centerman would definitely help restock some barren cupboards at that position. But at the same time, Morozov does project as a 3C with a high motor and good defensive instincts, which is something that the Flyers currently have in spades. Noah Cates, Christian Dvorak, and even Sean Couturier could be classified as similar players at the NHL level, and Jack Nesbitt is not dissimilar either among the prospect ranks. While there is definitely a chance that Morozov pops during his sophomore season and finds another offensive gear, his selection could still lead to a logjam of similar archetypes if the Flyers end up taking him.
Still, the potential power play functionality and rush offense make him enough of an asset, especially in a Rick Tocchet system, that the Flyers could do much worse than him fit-wise.
Could the Flyers actually get him?
Morozov has been mocked in the early to mid-twenties in the vast majority of prospect rankings, so it seems as if he could fall right into their wheelhouse at #21. There will be a host of players with similar projections likely available here, but Morozov stands out being one of the few to play against stiffer NCAA opposition. He also brings the sort of 200-foot game that the Flyers seem to have placed a premium on.
If you were to make a pool of five players that the Flyers could realistically take if they do end up making pick #21, Morozov would probably be in there.
What scouts are saying
“Morozov is a good-sized, pro-built center who has a good feel for timing on both sides of the puck and plays off his linemates well. He’s a natural catch-and-release shooter off the rush as well and plays in and out of space well. Morozov’s stride is a little upright, but he moves well enough for his size, is a willing forechecker and sees the ice well both offensively and to anticipate defensively. He has work to do in the faceoff circle, but he has quickly become a real pro center prospect. He usually has a positive impact on games because of how well-rounded he is. He has development room ahead of him still, too. I do think some got a little too high on him early on this year, but he should play and projects as a middle-six contributor.” – Scott Wheeler, The Athletic
“At 6-foot-3 and over 200 pounds, he’s a big center who commands respect. He put up solid numbers on a team that didn’t have a ton of big-time firepower to work with. I also like his confidence and the way he’s always looking to make a pass, even through traffic.” – Steven Ellis, Daily Faceoff
Time to add another name to the board as we get into the home stretch of round one, this time around, it’s the high scoring winger from the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL, Nikita Klepov.
“It was surprising, given he only put up 31 points in the USHL the year prior. The Michigan State University commit plays with a ton of finesse, but he’s physically strong, too. He’s just an OK skater, but Klepov should still go high because magic tends to happen when he’s in control of the puck on the attack.” – Steven Ellis, Daily Faceoff
