Claimed: Slava Aleksei Profile

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Slava Aleksei

Winger

Minsk, Belarus

Season 54 Prospect

Brampton Blades

 

Slava Aleksei was born in Minsk in 1998 to two athletic parents who always pushed him to be the best he can be. He began playing hockey from a young age and has played all across Europe before making the move to the VHLM in recent weeks. He was once thought to be a surefire KHL star, but shocked the hockey world when he declared for the Season 54 VHL Draft to be held later this year. He is currently playing for the Brampton Blades though he originally came over to play for the Bratislava Watchmen. He started the year with 12 points in 16 games while playing for Bratislava, but has taken on a lesser role in Brampton where he has struggled with just one point in 16 games so far. He is currently ranked 12 out of 27 prospects for the upcoming draft. 

 

 

Pro's

 

Playmaking: A natural in terms of creating offense, Aleksei has always been a gifted passer. However as we know, creating offense is much more then just being able to pass the puck. The 18 year old Belorussian is a talented player offensively mostly due to his vision on the ice and his ability to get the puck to the parts of the ice it needs to be for offense to thrive. He has sweet hands that have always allowed him to make the kinds of plays he needs to make on the ice in key situations. 

 

Hockey IQ: Though some argue it is an overused term, Aleksei has an understanding of the game that is second to none in his draft class. He is a student of the game who is always working to get better at understanding the things that make a hockey player good. He is always in the correct position in the offensive zone and has the instincts that make one of the top ranked prospects for the upcoming draft. This, more then anything, makes him an ideal player for any teams power play.

 

Speed: They always say you can't defend speed, and that is something the European winger is banking on. He accelerates through the neutral zone at a level usually unseen among draftees, and if he can manage to learn the finish that some teams hope he can, he will become a lethal scorer at the professional level. 

 

Con's

 

Strength: Historically a weakness of young players, Aleksei really needs to work on his upper body strength in particular before he can be VHL ready. Some say he just needs to fill in his frame and it will come with time and a bit more commitment in the gym. Either way, the 18 year old really needs to work on this aspect of his game before he can be a contributor at the pro level.

 

Mistake Prone: Despite his hockey IQ being solid, there are times where he makes a mistake on the ice that will leave your head shaking. He has the ability to make mental errors that no one should be making at this level of hockey, let alone at the professional level. It seems to be something he is working to correct, but as he goes higher in the ranks of whatever organization that chooses him, it will be less and less likely that the 18 year old will be given the benefit of the doubt any longer.

 

inconsistent: Like many players his age, the Belorussian is very inconsistent as evidenced by his point totals thus far. Some games he looks like a top prospect and others he looks like he barely belongs in the first two rounds. This is one of the reasons his draft stock seems to hover around the middle of the draft with teams unlikely to risk a choice on him in the first round.