Roman Shokhrin — 2024 NHL Draft Prospect Profile – Hockey Writers – NHL Entry Draft

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Roman Shokhrin

2023-24 Team: 76th Yaroslavl
Date of Birth: Feb. 19, 2006
Place of birth: Nizhny Novgorod, RUS
Height: 6-foot-4, Weight: 201 pounds
Shoot: Left
Position: Defender
Draft eligibility: first year draft eligibility

Levels

Roman Shokhrin is a Russian defenseman who spent most of this season in the MHL – Russia's minor league – with Loko-76 Yaroslavl, where he posted 12 points in 28 games. He also appeared in eight games for Loko Yaroslavl in the KHL, scoring two points.

Shokhrin is one of the more intriguing options later in this year's draft. He's a steady linebacker at 6-foot-4, 201 pounds, who gets noticed right away. Most of the time, defenders like Shokhrin stand out for their defensive play. Although he sounds defensive, that's not the first thing that caught my eye about him.

Related: 2024 THW NHL Draft Guide

One of the first things I liked about Shokhrin's game when I watched his shift-by-shift video was his stick handling, puck skills and offensive makeup. For a big defender, he has an attacking ability that has yet to be discovered. He moves the puck well and makes good first passes in the defense, and he is not afraid to get the puck out of the defense by swinging it out. He'll also jump into plays when he doesn't have the puck, so he has good offensive attributes.

There's a simplicity about Shokhrin's play that I like, too. He's not disruptive at any point, but he makes the right play more often, and his easy passing is effective. His shot could use some work, but the team that drafts Shokhrin isn't going to pick him as a starting scorer, so that's not a major concern.

Macklin Celebrini, Artyom Levshunov and Ivan Demidov (Hockey Writers)

Defensively, Shokhrin is not overly physical, but uses his size well. He gets up on the blue line and seems to defend the run effectively. This shouldn't come as a surprise for someone his age, but he has a long reach that he uses to break up games. He has good hockey sense and expects to play well on defense.

Another standout aspect of Shokhrin's defensive game is his play on the walls. He won't try to check a defender on the glass, but that's where he uses his long reach and size to win 50/50 battles and get his team back. He's also a decent front-line defender, though I'd like to see him try to clear the area around the blue paint. He should have no problem doing that at 6-foot-4, 201 pounds.

Shokhrin's skating is good for someone his size, but there is room for improvement. His mechanics are good, which is a sign that there is room for growth in this area. If he can add more explosion and pop to his skating, there is an interesting toolkit he can work with in other parts of his game.

Roman Shokhrin – NHL Draft Projection

Shokhrin will likely be a mid-round pick, perhaps somewhere in the fourth to fifth round. His size, understated puck ability, and two-way presence make him an intriguing player to pick in this year's draft.

Some THW Draft profiles

Measurements

“Shokhrin is a two-way defender who combines smooth, finesse plays with a strong physical presence and reliability. A quick draw to his game comes in the form of his size and stick handling. He's a big player but he doesn't rely on being overly physical to stop. Instead, his combination of play and anticipation gives him an edge when he pins the boards…” – Jake Janso, FC Hockey

“Shokhrin is one of the players who grew the most for me when I watched him a lot. He plays a good two-way game with good puckhandling, awareness and defense and has decent top speed. He is a versatile defender and is confident especially when passing the pack. I feel like Shokhrin will be caught watching too much, which leads to him getting hit easily because he didn't chase the player or the puck.” – Steven Ellis, Daily Faceoff

“Shokhrin is a great defenseman who uses his size advantage to block opposing entries and effectively protect the puck. The strongest aspect of his game, however, may be his ability with the puck in the offensive zone and in transition…” – Jake Janso, FC Hockey

Power

Dimensions/Strengths
Long reach
Puck skills
Hockey concept
Physical presence
The longing
Simplicity

Under Construction – Improvements To Be Made

Swinging/adding bursts and bursts
The body
Not playing as aggressively and looking to stretch the ice more often than he does
- This will require adding more weapons to his passing ability
Shot

NHL Power

Shokhrin doesn't have the highest ceiling, but there's a lot to like about his game. His key to making the NHL roster will be being a better skater. Other than that, other parts of his game he's doing well suggest that there's a strong chance in the NHL. He may be coming off as a third-team defenseman in the NHL, but I can see why NHL Central Scouting has him as a top 50 European prospect.