New Jersey Devils: Shakir Mukhamadullin is Surprising People

Over the past few NHL Drafts, the New Jersey Devils had some interesting picks in the 1st round. The selection of Shakir Mukhamadullin at 20th overall back in the 2020 NHL draft was no exception. He got selected after the Devils had two great selections in Alexander Holtz and Dawson Mercer earlier in the round. This pick caught the attention of many due to his projections and it created some conflicting opinions. A lot of people criticized this pick by saying that it was a huge reach while a few say that picking Mukhamadullin might be a steal if he develops properly. No matter what though, drafting Mukhamadullin was a high-risk, high-reward prospect for the Devils.

When Mukhamadullin was first drafted, there were a lot of qualities that made people consider a huge reach. He might be tall, but he has a very small frame. Around the time of the 2020 NHL Draft, Mukhamadullin was reported to be 6’2″ and 170lbs. For a player, especially a defenseman, that size is a setup for failure since he can be bounced off the puck and lose balance easily. There were times when he made attempts to use his body to check his opponents and he lost balance in the process.

In addition to that, Mukhamadullin’s defensive game was in question. One of the only qualities that made him stand out was his howitzer of a slap shot. Because of these qualities and the shoulder injury he had last year,  people are not confident about his future of being an NHL defenseman with the Devils.

Within the past year though, it seems as though Mukhamadullin has been making a lot of strides. He has significantly improved his frame. According to the KHL website, Mukhamadullin is now registered as 193cm (6’3″) and 88Kg (194lbs). This means that Mukhamadullin added over 20 pounds to his frame within the past year. In addition to that, Mukhmadullin also significantly improved his overall hockey skills as well. Steve Kournianos, a writer of The Draft Analyst, has a lot of praise for Mukhamadullin’s recent performance at the Four Nations Tournament. Kournianos mentioned that Mukhamadullin “skated, passed, shot, and defended like a true No.1” defenseman. He is even having a good start to the season with Salavat Yulaev and is having more playing time compared to last season. He’s even been placed on the top line for a few of his matchups.

All of these things show that Mukhamadullin has been making a lot of strides in his development over the past year. This is extremely encouraging for the Devils’ organization and fans. If Mukhamadullin continues to develop like he is doing now, he will make Fitzgerald look like a genius and will become a legitimate two-way NHL defenseman that the Devils need.

The Devils should be very excited about his development so far because it shows that he has an extremely good work ethic. This work ethic will fit very well with the Devils’ system and he can be a positive influence on the team in the future. Mukhamadullin has been walking the walk and talking the talk so far. The hope is for him to come to New Jersey next year to prove the doubters wrong and become a force to be reckoned with in the NHL.

What do you think of Mukhamdullin’s recent update in his development? Are you more confident in his future of becoming a top defender for the Devils? Do you even see Mukhamadullin being a part of the Devils’ system in the future? Please feel free to leave a comment below and let’s get a discussion going.