Just Who Is Ziyat Paigin?

There aren’t many certainties in the sport of hockey, but one thing that is for certain is that late round draft picks are nothing more than a crap shoot. Sometimes you end up with Henrik Zetterberg, other times you end up with a backup goalie for your ECHL affiliate. Sometimes, like the Oilers this past June, you end up with Ziyat Paigin.

With the 209th overall pick in this past June’s draft, Edmonton rolled the dice on Paigin, a massive 6’6” Russian defender with a bit of a temper. Currently, Paigin is playing in the KHL and since his season is underway, we won’t see him at the rookie tournament later this week.

Let’s be honest, the native of Penza, Russia is a complete unknown, he’s a shot in the dark.

So….Who Is He?:

Paigin is a 6’6” 209 pound defender who currently plays for Kazan Ak-Bars of the KHL. Last season, in 33 games, Paigin posted two points. This season, so far, he’s posted one point in seven games. Safe to say that this is not a player who will be an impact offensive blue should he ever come over.

International Scouting Service ranked the big Russian as their 112th overall player, meaning Edmonton may have gotten considerable value 100 picks later. ISS had this to say about Paigin (via Bruce McCurdy):

The big, lanky defender was an imposing figure on the back end for Ak Bars Kazan in the KHL and with Russia at the 2015 U20 World Championships. Paigin’s upside is based around his raw frame and active, intense defensive game. Long active stick and angles well, needs to focus on foot speed and mobility which will benefit when he adds muscle to his massive frame. Thrives in physical play, likes to finish hits and mix it up along the wall. Can be beat wide by quick opposition forwards catching him on the pivot. Decent skill-set on the puck, although at his best when he simplifies his game. Good shot although not much upside in this department at the next level.

What Can We Expect?:

Like I said above, Paigin will not attend the team’s rookie camp or be at main camp. He’s staying in the KHL this season and is likely to have a multi-year stint in Europe’s top professional hockey league. For all purposes, this is a prospect we will be tracking from afar, a player we may actually never see in North America.

There are some good things mentioned here. Obviously, you can’t teach size so the fact that he has some is a key point. Mobility is also something that players need, and Paigin seems to have it.

His boxcars also back-up the notion that he’s more of a stay-at-home type defender who blocks shots and plays a physical game, that style best suits his build.

Will He Be a Long Term Oiler:

Almost impossible to say, but he looks good from afar. Size, mobility, stay-at-home ability and a big shot are all things that Peter Chiarelli absolutely loves. The fact that Paigin has those all is a key advantage for him. On top of that, he’s already playing pro hockey in a good league, something that will surely benefit him.

According to McCurdy’s article for The Cult of Hockey, Paigin is under contract until the end of the 2016-17 season, so it’s likely two or three years too early to talk about this player.

We’ll see if Edmonton finds another diamond in the Russian rough. It worked with Yakupov and is trending well with both Anton Slepyshev and Bogdan Yakimov.