2021 Flames First Round Targets: Nikita Chibrikov

Give [Chibrikov] too much time and space in open ice and the opposition will have a huge problem on their hands. He has the wheels to beat opponents wide and gain that allimportant separation. He’s also quite an elusive player, able to slow the pace down, shift his weight seamlessly from side-to-side, and deceive defenders with his hands, feet or head movement. He shows poise with the puck on his stick and calmness under pressure. He finds his teammates with passes in motion and can edgework the puck into better shooting lanes. He does a good job of spotting opportunities on offense, finding teammates with crisp cross-ice passes while skating on the perimeter in the offensive zone. He also shows a willingness to go to the front of the net to make himself available for deflections and attempt to screen the opposing goaltender. At both ends of the ice, Chibrikov’s compete level is impressive for the most part, keeping his legs churning and playing aggressively on the forecheck in order to make life difficult on opposing defenders on the breakout.

Chibrikov impressed early at the junior level this season, earning a quick promotion to playing versus men where he held his own at the VHL and KHL levels and making an appearance with Russia’s senior team. He was also a top scorer at the U18 worlds with 13 points in seven games. He’s undersized and not an amazing skater for his size, but he’s done well versus pros because of his tremendous playmaking ability and his ability to win battles despite his size. He can make slick one-on-one plays, creative plays under pressure and find seams consistently. He’s physical and responsible defensively.

Where many gifted young prospects play loose, flowing games that rely on hanging onto the puck and often playing away from pressure until the right play opens up, Chibrikov plays a direct, more intentional game. Against his peers, that game allows him to attack at and through pressure, create his own chances, and drive play to the inside when he has the puck. When there isn’t the same space to attack into or the same openings in coverage against men, his game can really quiet. When he’s engaged in the fight and keeping his feet moving, there’s a lot to like about his ability to impact a shift (both by ramping up the pace with his skating or slowing the game down to play a little more calculating) in a variety of ways.

One of only two U18 players to receive extensive playing time in the KHL this year, Chibrikov’s 16 games for [famed] SKA St. Petersburg [trailed] only Russian WJC-18 teammate Danila Yurov, not draft eligible himself until 2022, who played in 21 games for Metallurg Magnitogorsk. When not playing in the top Russian league, a league many say is second only to the NHL, Chibrikov spent much of the remainder of his season in Russia’s second men’s league, the VHL. Even there, only five U18 skaters appeared in more than his 20 games.