Yevgeni Oksentyuk: Best Overager In The 2020 NHL Draft?

The Belarusian forward is a second-year NHL draft eligible who should have been drafted last year. For the past few years Oksentyuk has been playing with Shakhter Soligorsk of the Belarusian Extraleague while also spending time with Belarus Vysshaya, Belarus minor league team. From his time playing in his home country of Belarus with Shakhter Soligorsk, Oksentyuk scored six goals and added 12 assists for 18 points in 51 games. Then with Belarus Vysshaya, he scored 39 goals and added 28 assists for 67 points in 57 games played. 

Oskentyuk had a very good transition to North America. Coming from a country that isn't a big hockey network not many people had the chance to scout him. This year Oksentyuk played his first season in North America with the Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League and made quite an impact. He led the Firebirds in points with 78 — scoring 33 goals and adding 45 assists, making his point per game average 1.34. 

The 5’8” undersized winger brings dynamic speed and offensive skills. He has a very high hockey IQ and anticapes plays before they happen, leading to dangerous scoring opportunities. He has a big motor and crashes the net fast. His shot is strong but he needs to work on his accuracy. Oksentyuk can score multiple different ways, making him a very dangerous player. 

Defensively, Oksentyuk is a gritty player who isn’t afraid of taking on bigger opponents. He is small and could use more muscle. 

I would project him as a potential middle-six winger who can bring an offensive presence as well as a physical presence. 

From: Pick224.com

The chart above shows his shots and goals. As you can see, he is very good close to the net — the “high-danger” scoring areas. 

This chart is showing some of his advanced stats.

1. EV P1/GP: Even-strength primary points per GP. His: 0.8276
2. PP P1/ GP: Powerplay primary points per GP. His: 0.2069
3. P1/GP: Total primary points per GP. His: 1.0345

What do you think of Yevgeni Oksentyuk?

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