Anaheim Ducks prospect Egor Sidorov didn’t let big obstacles stop him from getting drafted to NHL
There weren’t many happier players in Nashville this week than Egor Sidorov, Anaheim’s third-round pick at the 2023 NHL Draft.
“I feel awesome, feel awesome,” Sidorov said with a huge grin. “It’s a dream come true. Anaheim, right here. Let’s go!”
You could see the 1,000-pound anvil slide off the back of the young forward, who was passed over a year ago. Most overage players don’t bother showing up again, but Sidorov wanted to be there. He wanted the chance to erase the pain of missing out a year ago.
And it paid off. One of the best second-year eligible players was taken 85th overall. But one thing was missing: his family.
Like many young Russian and Belarusian players, Sidorov hasn’t been home to see his family in two years now. With no visa, and the difficulty of traveling back and forth between Belarus and Canada, Sidorov kept his focus forward: he wanted to be an NHLer, no matter what it took.
Tomorrow, I will likely be as emo about an NHL pick as I’ll ever be after @77Yegor gets chosen.
He hasn’t seen his family in 2 years.
Got passed over last year.
Had no visa to get home two summers in a row but just battled and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Amazing person.
The 19-year-old forward had a total glow-up in Saskatoon this past season, going from 35 points a year ago to 40 goals and 76 points this season. He then put on a clinic in the postseason with 19 points in 16 games, but the Blades fell short against a loaded Winnipeg Ice squad in the third round.
It was a huge step up for Sidorov compared to a year ago. He scored 23 goals that season, which was solid, but his skating and defensive zone play left a bit to be desired. Both areas have been improved, with most of the difficulties stemming from the different styles of hockey played between Belarus and in Canada. He had never played on the smaller international ice before the 2021 U-18 World Championship in Texas, where he put up five points in a set-up role with Vancouver Canucks prospect Danila Klimovich.
These days, there’s a ban on Russian and Belarusian players getting taken in the import draft. Luckily, Sidorov got there just in time. The Blades took him with the 20th pick in 2021, just a year before the war in Ukraine began.
Sidorov entered the season bigger, stronger and looked more comfortable shooting from more high-danger areas. His defensive game is still an issue, but he’s the type of guy you could fit in the middle six in a scoring role and be confident.
“There’s so much raw talent that the coaching staff in Saskatoon started to unlock there,” a scout said. “And you have to love his shot, his release. It’s wicked dangerous.”
No WHLer improved more than Sidorov. He’s an ankle-breaker with how he dekes past opponents, and he’s as creative as they come. Sidorov is accused of being too patient with the puck, but that’s fixable with the right people in his ear. He’s a hard worker, and it shows in his game. But it’s truly his shot that got scouts to notice him. It was good a year ago, but he proved more willing to go to the dirty areas to retrieve the puck and put himself where he needed to be. Less standing, more movement. That’s the proper path to becoming a more dynamic goal-scorer – not limiting yourself to one spot, and one shot.
Sidorov is still a project player. Expectations are always much higher for older players, and Sidorov will need to show a more complete effort next year. But nobody will deny the improvements over the past two years, and that’s why scouts are confident he’ll be able to crack the NHL someday as a depth-scoring forward at the very least. Time will tell, but the 2023-24 season will be about improving in areas away from the offensive game. If that pans out, the Ducks could have a steal on their hands.
More than ever, there have been serious questions about the “Russian Factor” over the past two years. And that extends to Belarus, where the development path isn’t easy to begin with. But Sidorov used going undrafted as motivation to take his game up another step in hopes of realizing his dream. The first mission is complete, but there’s still work to do – and Sidirov understands that.
“I know why I’m here, for my dream,” Sidorov said. “I will do everything to play in the NHL.”
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