2019 NHL Draft: Devils Picked Daniil Misyul at 70th Overall in the Third Round

At 70th overall, the New Jersey Devils selected Lokomotiv Yaroslavl defenseman Daniil Misyul. This is their second defender selected in this draft. The young Russian prospect is currently in the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl system. Let’s learn a little bit more about the player.

Who is Daniil Misyul?

According to his EliteProspects profile, Daniil Misyul is a 6’3, 176 lbs. defenseman from Minsk, Belarus that was born on October 20, 2000. He plays primarily for Loko Yaroslavl of the MHL, in Russian junior hockey. Last season he had 4 goals, 6 assists, +11, and 71 PIM in 46 regular season games. He had an assist in 3 KHL games with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. He was often ranked higher than where the Devils drafted him at 70th. Thanks to his EP profile, we can see that The Athletic had him at 62nd, Hockey Prospect at 42nd, ISS Hockey at 47th, EliteProspects at 67, and TSN at 50th. It seems like the Devils got him a great spot for his talent level.

Misyul has represented Russia at the U17 and U18 levels, helping them earn a U17 WHC Bronze Medal during the 2016-17 season. He was also a MHL Champion in 2017-18. This past season he won KHL Rookie of the Month honors in March, Rookie of the Week honors during the Gagarin Cup Quarterfinals, was named to the MHL All-Star Team, and won another MHL Championship. It’s notable that during the Gagarin Cup Playoffs in the KHL, he averaged 15:16 per game and played a big role in those 6 games, despite only appearing in 3 regular season games. It seems that the organization rates him highly and sees him a part of their present. I should also add that in juniors, he averaged over 20 minutes per game across 46 regular season games and over 22 minutes per game across 10 playoff games. Let’s take a quick look to see what others say about this prospect.

What Others Say About Daniil Misyul

His EliteProspects profile has these quotes from McKeen’s Hockey and Future Considerations:

He is an excellent skater and a gifted puck rusher , McKeen’s Hockey 2019

He cleans the crease effectively to let his goalie see the puck and doesn’t let anyone jump on rebounds , Future Considerations 2019

Bill Placzek of Draft Site had this to say about Misyul:

Tall lean attacking defenseman who is fluid on his pins, very patience and fearless in his carries down low. Fits in the definition of a new age attacker who picks his spots and activates into the mix, looking at the best option while carrying strong with puck, causing coverage problems while keeps moving before passing or shooting. Displays a hard point shot, solid set-ups and smart offensive vision and activation. I am sure there are negatives we can cobble from his defensive end work, but is difficult to not be excited at the the prospect’s playmaking and scoring abilities.

Mitch Brown had this tweet about Misyul:

David St-Louis over at Habs Eye on the Prize had this great profile on Misyul. I’ll highlight just part of it but I recommend checking it out:

He is a smooth skater, especially for his size. He can show some speed and quickness, but he is also quite agile. His fluid pivots help him keep up with opposing attackers and break their plays while defending off the rush. He also uses his stick effectively in those situations to cut off passing lanes, angle attackers to the boards, and take the puck away.

What he currently lacks in defensive awareness — something that should improve thorough his career — he makes up for with strong man-to-man defence. He closes in on his coverage, takes away attempts in front of the net by neutralizing opposing sticks, and is generally quite physical despite his relatively slight build.

My Initial Reaction of the Pick

My initial, quick reaction is that I like this pick. It seems that Misyul has some solid two-way potential to help out all over the ice. I like that he is a mobile defenseman that is a good at breaking the puck out of his zone and joining in off the rush. I like that he can play a physical, nasty style in his own end to ward off attacks. I’ll have more to come later.

Update: Now that I’ve had more time to research the player and focus on him, I am very happy with this selection. He’s still a bit lanky with his 6’3 frame but already plays a physical game and moves well. I think as he gains muscle, he’ll be able to better utilize his physical presence when competing in his own zone. I’m encouraged by the fact he skates well and is able to contribute at both ends of the rink. A full time jump to the KHL seems likely and should benefit him as he is still a bit of a project at this stage in his development. He apparently has a contract until the end of the 2021-22 season so the Devils can afford to be patient with him.

Your Take

Please have your say about person in the comments. Are you satisfied with this selection? What are your expectations for this prospect? Leave your comments below and thank you for reading!

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