Matvei Shuravin – 2024 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

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Matvei Shuravin

2023-24 Team: Krasnaya Armiya Moskva / MHL
Date of Birth: Mar. 22, 2006
Place of Birth: Moskva, Russia
Ht: 6-foot-4 Wt: 172 pounds
Shoots: L
Position: D
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2024 first-year eligible

Rankings

When discussing a top prospect heading into the NHL Entry Level Draft, there’s a lot you have to consider, as every player takes a different path before being selected. Some players work their way through developmental programs against players their own age, while others might be taking on ice time against men, which can limit their overall statistics but showcase their true NHL potential.

For Matvei Shuravin, his path to the 2024 NHL Draft has been a bit of a winding road. This season, he spent eight games playing hockey against men in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), looked good during this time, before suffering an injury and eventually being sent down to the MHL (Russian Junior Hockey League).

Against players his own age, Shuravin, unsurprisingly, looked great, even if he only posted 7 points in 22 games played. However, offense simply isn’t a priority in his game plan right now. While there is a lot of potential in his passing abilities, his shot is a bit wild and he lacks that top-end skillset to be a real threat on the attack right now.

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The good news is that Shuravin excels in pretty much every other area of the ice. He skates well for his size, still has room to grow into his frame, and understands how to utilize his size to his advantage. There’s a lot of potential for him to become a real top-four shutdown defenseman who pairs alongside an offensive roamer so they can get the time and space needed to make magic happen.

While that may not be the most exciting profile, it’s the kind of player who finds their place in the NHL, and they can carve out a solid career on the back of their hockey IQ, skating, and just generally understanding how to be in the right place at the right time.

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Matvei Shuravin – NHL Draft Projection

On draft day, I’ve come to the understanding that size often speaks louder than a pure offensive skillset. While Shuravin may have a limited scoring toolkit, I can absolutely see an NHL general manager falling in love with his size, defensive acumen, and raw potential. This makes his selection incredibly hard to predict, as many see him as a mid-to-late second-round pick, but recent history leads me to believe that he will likely hear his name called far before then.

Given this, I believe Shuravin could be one of the big surprises of the draft weekend and see his name rocket up draft boards into the early second round, or even the first. With this in mind, I’m putting his projection from pick 28-38 range, with the caveat that he could go even higher if there’s a run on defensemen. Now, many would call that a bad pick at the moment, but the potential is there for this kind of player.

Quotables

“Shuravin’s mobility and physical play have been solid against pros and he has enough skill to make a ton of controlled zone exits and entries. Shuravin is someone I could see rising into the first round of the draft because a mobile defenseman of his size with great defensive potential is very valuable, even if his offense never shines.” – Logan Horn, thehockeywriters.com.

“A well-rounded mobile defenseman with good size. He is calm under pressure, handling junior competition with ease. He makes a good breakout pass and can carry the puck himself in transition as well… His offensive upside is very limited, but he does have some upside as a playmaker, highlighted by his plus passing.” – Graham Montgomery, dobberprospects.com.

“He isn’t an overly assertive defenseman when taking on the F1, but maintains good positioning and extends his stick blade out towards the attacker to trap them. His distribution from deep in his own zone has been great. He can wire quick stretch passes to the neutral zone and does a good job of identifying tight passing lanes while pushing the puck up in the defensive zone and seeing that he could potentially get the puck in the hands of a teammate further up in the zone.” – smahtscouting.com

Strengths 

  • Smart, calm defenseman
  • High hockey IQ
  • Understands how to use his size to separate the puck from an opponent
  • Strong passer, with room to grow
  • Solid Skater

Under Construction- Improvements to Make

  • Lacks offensive upside
  • Imprecise shot

NHL Potential

While he may not be that barn-burning offensive talent fans dream of on draft day, Shuravin is the kind of prospect that allows your team to make the right choice five years after he is drafted. Every team is desperate to add responsible defensemen to their roster, and the prices to acquire one of these players are often steep at the trade deadline.

Related: 2024 NHL Draft Guide

Between his skill set and potential, I see Shuravin landing as a #5/6 defenseman who can take on time on the penalty kill along with 15-17 minutes of regular ice time each night. That would be a big win for any team in the NHL, even if it will take some time for him to grow into his game.

Risk-Reward Analysis

Risk- 3/5, Reward 3.5/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense- 3/10, Defense 7/10

Matvei Shuravin Stats