Colorado Avalanche: Pavel Dorofeyev Creative Winger with Good Vision

Russian winger Pavel Dorofeyev could be an option for the Colorado Avalanche in the first round.

With the draft now less than a week away the Colorado Avalanche will have a pretty good idea of who they want to select with their two first round picks. Could one of them be Pavel Dorofeyev?

As a reminder here is a full list of the picks the Colorado Avalanche have in this year’s draft:

More from Draft

#4 (from Ottawa)
#16
#47
#63 (also from Ottawa)
#78
#140
#171
#202

Pavel Dorofeyev

2018-19 Team: Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk (MHL)
Date of Birth: Oct 26, 2000 (18 years old)
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 163 lbs.
Position: Left Wing/Right Wing
Shoots: Left

Ranked #27 by HOCKEYPROSPECT.COM
Ranked #26 by FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS
Ranked #41 by ISS HOCKEY
Ranked #31 by MCKEEN’S HOCKEY
Ranked #12 by NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING (EU Skaters)
Ranked #15 by ELITEPROSPECTS.COM
Ranked #65 by TSN/McKenzie

Although most have him projected to get picked somewhere in the late 20s some have him going higher which means he could be an option for the Avalanche with their 16th pick.

Hannah Stuart of The Score has him going 14th in her mock draft and says:

[H]e saw action in both the KHL and the Spengler Cup this season – valuable experience for a crafty young forward who shows lots of promise. He doesn’t just drive play offensively; he’s also active and perceptive in his own end.

Cam Robinson of Dobber Prospects has him ranked at 16 and agrees that Dorofoyev is a valuable player:

Shoot-first winger has a knack for scoring big goals. Slight and slippery, he is elusive in the offensive end. Smooth puck skills and the heavy release highlight his skill package.

His creativity and intelligence are what makes his game stand out. Steve Kournianos of The Draft Ananysis says:

One of the most intelligent dual-threat wingers in his draft class, Dorofeyev was a key cog in Stalnye Lisy’s top line that generated most of their offense at even strength. He can play the role of either playmaker or finisher, and his overall understanding of the game is ridiculously high.

There are areas where Dorofeyev needs to improve, however. At 163lbs he is slight for his 6’0 height and will need to add some muscle to his frame. Ben Kerr of The Last Word on Hockey says there are also areas of his skating that need to improve:

Dorofeyev is a decent skater but could improve in key areas. His top end speed is good enough to keep up with the play but he is not a speedster who can blow past his opponents. While his acceleration is good, he needs work on his first few steps. Dorofeyev could work on his skating technique to become more explosive.

Both his weight and skating are relatively easy fixes, however, and Kerr adds:

Some concerns are the lack of explosiveness in his skating as well as the lack of power in his shots. These are fixable issues though, and if he can improve these areas, he could be dynamic at the next level.

Some highlights of Pavel Dorofeyev in action:

Pavel Dorofeyev and the Colorado Avalanche

Dorofeyev clearly has the skill and ability, and any lingering issues are things that can be resolved by working with the right trainers. If he is given the right development opportunities, and if the Avalanche decide to pick him up, they could potentially have a skilled winger on their roster.

Next. Nils Höglander Skilled Winger Who Plays Bigger Than His Size. dark

The 2019 NHL Draft takes place in Vancouver, with the first round on June 21 and the second round on June 22. The time for the first round hasn’t been announced, but I’m expected last year’s start time of 5:30 pm MT.

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