Morozov: Draft Profile [1/2]

[Dangles13 373]

The VHLM season is rapidly coming to a close and some teams will look to the playoffs and others will look towards the draft. Valeri Morozov is one such player who is looking towards the playoffs and yet, in the back of his mind dwells the draft. Valeri has put together a decent season thus far, however, the rumours are that the big Russian isn't very high on draft boards. One may be left to wonder if this Russian bias or if there is something deeper involved here; we decided to dig deeper on the draft-eligible power forward.

 

 

Looking at Morozov's stats show promising potential. Through 65 games played the big winger has 77 points, 37 of which are goals. The port side forward has a very good release but he also has a knack for getting to the right spot at the right time; he's an opportunistic scorer who can also create his own offence as evidenced by his over 4 shots per game pace. Valeri has also shown he can be a trigger man on the powerplay when given the chance and one could propose that more ice time would lead to more than his 14 tucks with the man advantage. 

 

A knock on the member of the Rush is that he cannot handle the puck very well and his passing suffers due to it. You would like to see a player with a frame like a condor be able to shield the puck better but that is something that can be taught. Morozov will never be a deft stick-handler who can dip around defenders but when he learns to open up his hips and hold the puck on the backhand he can back defenders down. 

 

 

In the vein of moving his hips and shifting his body, we get to Valeri's skating abilities. For a big man, he moves very well in open ice and is scary fast going North/South but his agility in tight leaves a little to be desired. With the emphasis on speed in the league, it stands to reason that this can be the biggest detriment to Morozov's draft stock. However, big strong guys who have a knack for getting to the open areas on the ice will always have a home on hockey teams.

 

A very underrated aspect of the kid's game is his solid two-way play; Morozov is very trustworthy on the penalty kill and has a superb stick that knocks pucks loose. Valeri is able to use his big body as a shield to block shots with the best of them, frustrating players with his high motor. Morozov is also a punishing checker and buries opposing players every chance he gets, you know when he is out on the ice. As he hones his craft it would not be unreasonable to us if he wins a two-way award at some point in his career. 

 

 

All in all, Morozov is a punishing power forward who has a knack for burying the biscuit and helping out on the defensive side of the puck. A team looking for a guy who can play up and down their lineup and with any player should not look any further than the six foot six Yekaterinburg product.

[TheLastOlympian07 2,388]

Review

Nicely written article about your player. It showcases very well on what your player brings to the table. Miss you buddy, nice t see you around these parts.