The Dallas Stars have selected Denis Guryanov 12th overall in the 2015 NHL Draft.
So what do we know about Denis Guryanov and how does he fit into the Dallas Stars plans for the future and the organisation?
Denis Guryanov is a right wing from the Ladia Togliatti of the MHL. Here at Defending Big D we didn’t do a profile on him but we do have one from Raw Charge.
| Regular Season | Team | GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIMs |
| 2014-2015 | Lada Togliatti (KHL) | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 2 |
| 2014-2015 | Ladia Togliatti (MHL) | 23 | 15 | 10 | 25 | 4 | 39 |
| Playoffs | |||||||
| 2014-2015 | Ladia Togliatti (MHL) | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | -1 | 12 |
The Dallas Stars generally have a good prospect pool with no particular area of weakness. But the selection of Denis Guryanov will definitely add a lot of depth to the Dallas Stars forward units.
The Dallas Stars might have players like Jason Dickinson, Devin Shore, Remi Elie and Cole Ully but there is no such thing as too much forward depth.
Guryanov is an extremely talented forward who is very happy to use his body to brutalise opponents, though he can get too enthuastic with his body checks. He’s an extremely good skater, especially for his size. He also has very good playmaking skills and also a quick accurate shot.
There are issues over his commitment to defence, whether this is just because he is a Russian or not is another debate entirely. The idea he can be ‘lazy’ isn’t uncommon in scouting reports though most of them also say that it isn’t a constant issue.
When he does commit to backchecking he can match the vast majority of goal scoring wingers when it comes to his defensive game.
He is sometimes guilty of leaving his own zone too soon in order to be right on the point for the breakout pass and the potential one on one with the goalie.
It’s obvious though that his offensive game is going to be his main focus, he could be a top six offensive winger who can play a decent defensive game. He’s got the frame to become a power forward and his general instinct and play points towards this being the style of game that he will play.
His game is much more North American than European, he is very willing to go directly to the net and use his size to dominate his opposition while also using his speed to get past defenders.
Interestingly a common comparison for Guryanov is Valeri Nichushkin, they both play similar games and both have lots of potential.
The elephant in the room when it comes to Denis Guryanov is that he is Russian. He has made no statement to say that his aim is to play in the NHL as soon as possible and he is signed to a KHL contract meaning that he will be there until the end of the 2016-2017 season.
In fact it is clear that the Dallas Stars expect him to get a lot of playing time in the KHL next year and hopefully beyond.
Stars scout Evgueni Tsybouk said Gurianov should get a lot of playing time in KHL next season, will be good for his development.
— Mark Stepneski (@StarsInsideEdge) June 27, 2015
Reading scouting reports on him it’s obvious that Guryanov has a lot of potential, and I mean a lot of potential. He is another Russian that scouts say would easily be a top ten pick if he was a good ol’ Ontario Boy. He is a risk though, there is no certainty that he will come over to the NHL any time soon.
Overall I’m happy with this pick on reflection though he wasn’t on the top of players I thought the Stars would pick at 12. I think in time he could end up being a good player, depending on when he comes to North America.
Here are some videos of his game: