Evgeny Kuznetsov: 2010 NHL Draft Profile and Scouting Report

Evgeny Kuznetsov, Chelyabinsk Traktor (KHL)

Position: Center | Height: 5-foot-10 | Weight 155 lbs
FanHouse Ranking: No. 27 | Age: 18 | Hometown: Chelyabinsk, Russia

More: Top 35 Prospects | Full 2010 NHL Draft Coverage

Evgeny Kuznetsov 2009-10 Stats
	GP	Goals	Assists	Points
Regular Season	35	2	7	9

The inconsistencies you see in a prospect like Kuznetsov are staggering. At the World Juniors, he was just a guy, looking nothing like a first-round talent for most of Russia's disappointing six-game run at the event.

Then, Kuznetsov played in the Six Nations Tournament in February. During that U18 event, he stood out as one of the best players in his age group, and his draft stock was back on the move.

Kuznetsov struggled in the KHL during a 35-game stint this season, scoring just twice. Yes, he played with a lot of older players, but he didn't look nearly as strong there as fellow first-round prospect Vladimir Tarasenko.

The team that drafts Kuznetsov has to accomplish a few things before he'll make an impact for them. They have to first become convinced that he's all-in to make the NHL. Given that he played a year in the KHL, scouts will question his motives. Does he want to play in North America?

Beyond that, they have to figure out what kind of player they have. Is Kuznetsov a skilled youngster who was simply overmatched in the older, more mature KHL? Or is he a player destined to let people down because he doesn't get it?