Ht/Wt: 6' 5"/187 lbs
Position: LHD
Team: Salavat UFA (KHL)

Nikita Shcherbakov's Player Profile

Jason Bukala - Sportsnet - December 1st: "He’s a very strong skater for his stature, smooth out of the blocks and agile. He handles the puck with confidence and leans distributor more than shooter. Defensively he’s a bit of a work in progress. Shcherbakov is engaged physically, but on occasion he could use his long reach and overall length to cut down plays more aggressively on the defensive side."

Steven Ellis - Daily Faceoff - November 19th: "NHL teams like big Russian defenders, and Shcherbakov meets the criteria. The 6-foot-5 defender started the year in the KHL but has primarily played in the second-tier Russian league since the end of September."

Sam Cosentino - Sportsnet - November 19th: "Shcherbakov makes many good decisions, whether he’s pinching at the blue line, trying to close out plays in neutral ice or moving the puck from his own zone. However, he shows hesitation when doing so. As a result, the execution of his ideas aren’t always effective because of those brief moments of hesitation."

Smaht Schouting - November 9th: "High-end play killer, great skater, and a super effective rush defender, maintaining strong body positioning and a good defensive stick in defensive transitions and in the defensive zone. I don’t see a big offensive contributor here currently, but he does have some skill, and enough to be a good puck mover."

Scott Wheeler - The Athletic - Nov. 5th: "His game is still pretty raw and he has development ahead of him on both sides of the puck, but I've seen him carry pucks into the offensive zone and stop up and find the trailer, and his comfort over his feet at his size makes him intriguing for NHL clubs. He's going to be watched closely this year as teams try to decide what level of prospect he is."

Nikita Shcherbakov's Stats

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