Pavel Dorofeyev
2018-19 Team: Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk
Date of Birth: Oct. 26, 2000
Place of Birth: Nizhny Tagil, Russia
Ht: 6-foot-1 Wt: 167 pounds
Shoots: Left
Position: Left Wing
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2019 first-year eligible
Rankings
- NHL Central Scouting: 12th (among EU skaters)
- HockeyProspect.com: 20th
- Future Considerations: 30th
- DobberProspects: 16th
- McKeen’s Hockey: 29th
- The Hockey Writers: 17th
Like most top Russian prospects, Pavel Dorofeyev spent time in both the junior league MHL and the men’s league KHL. Based on his time in the two, it became obvious that Dorofeyev has outgrown the junior league.
Related: NHL Draft Guide | 2019 Edition
In 19 games with the MHL’s Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk, the left winger had 17 goals and 31 points. He added another two points in three playoff games. Those are incredible numbers. His 1.63 points per game are even better than Nikita Kucherov (1.41) and Artemi Panarin (1.15) did in their draft years.
While he might be better than the MHL level, he has some developing to do to compete in the KHL, as he had just one goal and assist in 23 games with Metallurg Magnitogorsk.
His style has been compared to that of Filip Forsberg, which should be a big indication of what the winger is capable of. Dorofeyev’s biggest drawbacks at this point in his young career are his size and strength. As he continues to develop and grow, that will come naturally. His offensive skill and creativity should make up for the size early in his career as he gets bigger.
Other THW Draft Profiles:
Pavel Dorofeyev – NHL Draft Projection
The Russian winger has been ranked all over the first round of the draft, but it looks like he will go somewhere in the teens. He will likely be just ahead of the 20s in the 17-19 range.
Quotables
“He’s one of the older players for his draft class which is not a bad thing but should be taken into consideration. Dorofeyev is a very talented offensive player with upside to become a productive top-six winger. He has great vision and puck-skills but also has a very good shot. He’s also a hard worker who isn’t a liability defensively.” – Jokke Nevalainen, DobberProspects
“Dorofeyev is still raw as an athlete and needs to get stronger, bulk up and gain a little explosiveness. But there’s no denying his talent. He can wow you as a creator with the puck on his stick, score in tight or from distance with his release and make plays at full speed. He may take a little longer to get to his ceiling than some of the players ahead of him on this list but once he gets there he may be dynamic enough to be a consistent offensive threat at any level.” – Scott Wheeler, The Athletic (From: “Wheeler: Preliminary ranking for the 2019 NHL draft’s top 62 prospects: – The Athletic –November 6, 2018)
“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. Good balance in traffic despite lacking some strength.” – Cam Robinson, DobberProspects
“A rugged winger with soft hands who plays fearless and relentless in all three zones, Dorofeyev is dangerous in odd-man situations and makes good decisions with the puck.” – Steve Kournianos, The Draft Analyst
Strengths
- Vision
- Shot
- Puck handling
Under Construction (Improvements to Make)
- Strength
- Skating
NHL Potential
Dorofeyev has the makings of a top-six winger in the NHL. It just might take him some time to get there. He’ll need to put on some muscle and work on his explosiveness, but it’s not hard to see him making the jump as early as the 2020-21 season.
Risk-Reward Analysis
Risk – 3.5/5, Reward – 3.5/5
Fantasy Hockey Potential
Offence – 7.5/10, Defence – 7.5/10
Awards/Achievements
Dorofeyev has a late birthday for this draft class, which made him ineligible for numerous important tournament in his draft year like the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and U18 World Junior Championships. However, he did participate in the MHL All-Star Game in 2018-19 and was Forward of the Month in December of the 2017-18 season.