Vadim Moroz — 2023 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

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Vadim Moroz

2022-23 Team: Dinamo Minsk
Date of Birth: Nov. 20, 2003
Place of Birth: Minsk, Belarus
Height: 6-foot-2, Weight: 185 pounds
Shoots: Right
Position: Right Wing
NHL Draft Eligibility: second-year draft eligible

Rankings

Vadim Moroz is a Belarusian forward who spent the majority of the 2022-23 season in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) with Dinamo Minsk, where he had five goals and 14 points in 39 games. He also spent some time in the MHL — the junior league of the KHL – with Dinamo-Shinnik Bobruysk, where he totaled two goals, six assists and eight points in ten games. 

Related: 2023 THW NHL Draft Guide

Every year, there are always more than a few intriguing overage prospects, most of who tend to go in the middle or later rounds of the draft, especially from the KHL. The New Jersey Devils hit on Yegor Sharangovich in the fifth round of the 2018 draft, as he was an overage prospect who’s turned into a solid middle-six winger in the NHL; he happened to play for Dinamo Minsk too. 

Overage prospects don’t always pan out; more often than not, they don’t. But there isn’t much risk in selecting one later in the draft because if they hit, you could get a Sharangovich-like player. Moroz might not be that, but his production as a 19-year-old in the KHL should have teams considering him later in the 2023 draft. 

The thing that stands out about Moroz’s game is his willingness to go to the net front to create scoring chances. At 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, he shouldn’t be afraid to go to high-danger scoring areas, and that’s where he did score some of his goals in the KHL this season: 

Moroz also has a soft set of hands, which has worked in his favor in the shootout or as a playmaker at even strength. Though he isn’t an elite playmaker, he has shown an ability to make crafty passes, something you don’t always see in a player his size. 

The key for Moroz making it to the NHL, assuming he gets drafted, will be improving his skating. He’s certainly not the fastest skater in the world and will probably never be a burner at his size, but he will need to add some more explosiveness and quickness to give himself a shot at making the NHL. 

One of the biggest reasons Sharangovich panned out for the Devils is that he improved his skating post-draft. If Moroz can get to NHL-average skating, there’s enough offensive potential to think he could compete for a roster spot one day. 

Other THW Draft Profiles

Vadim Moroz — NHL Draft Projection

Moroz could find himself off the board somewhere in the fifth or sixth round based on his few publicly available rankings. He had a solid season as a 19-year-old for Dinamo Minsk, so teams might take a flyer on him later in the draft, knowing there’s not much risk and that he has time to develop in the KHL for a few years. 

Quotables

“Vadim Moroz is a big winger with strong puck skills and offensive creativity. The offense at that size is intriguing, especially since he showed he could generate chances consistently around the net in a translateable way to the NHL. His skating is heavy for me, and whether he’ll be able to score in the NHL is something I’m unsure of.” – Corey Pronman, The Athletic (From “2023 NHL Draft ranking: Connor Bedard leads Corey Pronman’s tiers of the top 142 prospects”)

Strengths

  • Knack for going to high-danger scoring areas
  • Playmaking/Creativity
  • Stick-handling
  • Offensive upside for his size

Under Construction — Improvements to Make

  • Adding explosiveness to his skating 
  • Shooting/strength to his shot

NHL Potential

If Moroz makes the NHL, it’d likely be as a bottom-six winger as a power-forward type, given his size and knack for going to high-danger scoring areas. There probably isn’t much special teams upside, though. 

Risk/Reward Potential

Risk: 2.5/5, Reward: 3/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense: 5/10, Defense: 5/10

Awards/Achievements

Moroz was named KHL Rookie of the Month in Nov. 2022 and was also named Rookie of the Week on Nov. 14, 2022. 

Vadim Moroz Stats