Russia
Shakir Mukhamadullin
Shakir Mukhamadullin was a huge reach by the Devils in the 1st round of the NHL draft. However, right after he was taken, he caught fire in the KHL. It makes the Devils were right in taking this huge risk. Since then, he has slowed way down from the hot streak and currently sits at two goals and seven points in 24 games.
As a defensemen, this is not all one should look at though and it is good to see his minutes are up still, though lower than the start of the season. Last year, he averaged barely over three minutes a game. It would have been impossible to really get anything going but this season he is sitting at a more respectable 13 minutes a game. This should allow him to develop properly and his confidence will grow a lot more than if he was sitting on the bench all game so good things could be coming for the young man.
Mikhail Maltsev
Skilled forward Mikhail Maltsev is back in his home country of Russia playing for the always good SKA St.Petersburg. So far, he has played four games of his team’s 23, not good for development but really not a surprise. It always seems to be the case with younger Russian players. It would be nice to see him down in the MHL or VHL getting 15 minutes a night, but all fans can do is hope this works out and doesn’t stunt his growth.
Yegor Sharangovich
Not a name seen on Devils prospect listings with any consistency prior to the season, Yegor Sharangovich has actually managed a strong start of the season with Dinamo Minsk. The 22 year old has 12 points in 21 games, which is rather good for his age and a 5th-round pick. The real stand out part is he has 10 goals already. This ties his AHL goals total from last season in 57 games, showing he’s taken a huge step forward. It’s all the more impressive by doing it in the second best league in the world.
If he can find a level of consistency over there. he might be a bet to play an NHL role one day. The Devils are desperate for goal scorers right now. If he can play that role here with the right chemistry, it could pan out quite well. While still far from a sure thing it is another player trending the right direction which is the best one can hope for.