Just Who Is Anton Slepyshev?

We’ve taken a look at a close to sure thing player in Darnell Nurse, a good bet in Marco Roy, and a decent bet in Bogdan Yakimov. Today, we take a look at arguably the most interesting player drafted by the Oilers in June, and that is forward Anton Slepyshev out of Russia in the 3rd round, 88th overall.

Slepyshev went undrafted in 2012 because of a fear he wouldn’t come over to North America. He fell all the way to 88th overall this year. There hasn’t been much said about this young player, so just who is Anton Slepyshev?

Slepyshev is an extremely talented offensive player who could be the Oilers best pure offensive prospect. He has terrific hands according to almost every scouting report, and is really good with making things happen from the perimeter with the puck. Skill is his best asset, and he has it in bunches.

Slepyshev can be characterized as a sniper with good hands and a good shot, and a lot of creativity to his shot. That’s not all he is though, as some scouts say he can be a real pest out on the ice and that he has some really good power elements to his game. That’s a pretty wide variety of skills for an offensive player to have.

He’s got a decent two-way game to him as well. It isn’t as good as someone like Marco Roy, but his two-way game is good enough where he isn’t one of those offensive players that scores a bunch but is a liability every where else, and that is a pretty important skill to have. He plays with a lot of spirit too it’s described as, and most say he has a good worth ethic most of the time.

Anton isn’t an overly physical player, but he has the ability to play that game when he has too, and he can handle himself when the going gets rough.

That all being said, some scouts are worried about consistency in his game, and almost everyone is worried that he won’t ever be making the journey overseas to play in the AHL/NHL. That’s a major concern, and is the only reason he slipped through to 2012 draft and all the way to 88th this time around.

Slepyshev is playing in the KHL, and has put up decent numbers considering his age. He scored nine points in just 11 games with Salavat Yulaev this past season, and added another three in 15 games with Metallurg. Not page popping numbers, but for a kid at 19 years old playing small minutes in arguably the second best league in the world, it’s pretty decent.

Overall, there is a promising prospect here and a guy that could help the Oilers offensively down the line. He’s a high skill player who is considered a sniper and a goal scorer and a guy who isn’t afraid to throw a hit when it comes down to it. A decent offensive prospect no doubt.

Slepyshev will return to the KHL this season as he is under contract. Keep a close eye on this kid’s production at the KHL level, because next season he could be attending Oilers camp looking for an NHL roster spot. After this season, all bets are off with Slepyshev, let’s hope he has a strong KHL season and decides to come over after the season.

Dave Gordon will have tomorrow’s piece on Oilers pick Jackson Houck, be sure to check it out and follow us on twitter @Alex_Thomas14 and @TheOilersRig!