Arizona Coyotes take two huge swings on Russian teammates Dmitri Simashev and Daniil But

Mike Gould
Mike Gould
Arizona Coyotes take two huge swings on Russian teammates Dmitri Simashev and Daniil But
Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Four Russian players were selected in the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft.

The Arizona Coyotes picked two of them — and they just so happened to be teammates in the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl organization in 2022–23.

Dmitri Simashev and Daniil But were two of the biggest players selected in Nashville on Wednesday night. And to hear Daily Faceoff‘s Steven Ellis tell it, they also have some of the biggest upside.

The Coyotes sent shockwaves through the hockey world by selecting Simashev at No. 6 overall. But they weren’t done there, having acquired pick No. 12 from the Ottawa Senators in the Jakob Chychrun deal ahead of the 2023 trade deadline.

Simashev was live on air with Sportsnet’s Colby Armstrong and Ailish Forfar when the ‘Yotes went back up to the podium six picks later. The two hosts asked Simashev who he hoped his new team would take with their second pick.

“A Russian guy,” Simashev replied. “Daniil But, that’s my teammate from Lokomotiv.”

Coyotes director of amateur scouting Darryl Plandowski must’ve heard him. As Plandowski announced that Arizona would, indeed, be taking But, the smile on Simashev’s face shifted into a look of surprise — and then, elation.

“We played in Lokomotiv!” Simashev exclaimed. “Daniil But’s my good friend, good teammate. I think he’s kind of Tage Thompson from Russia.”

The Coyotes picked both Simashev and But a little higher than where most onlookers expected them to go. Although they were both regarded as consensus first-round talents heading into Wednesday’s draft, very few people anticipated that they’d end up being taken in the top 15.

Simashev, in particular, was one of the most divisive players available in this year’s draft. Although some outlets had him going in the top 10, others (including Daily Faceoff) had him falling to the teens. TSN’s Craig Button had him all the way down at No. 38.

Here’s what most scouts like about Simashev. He’s a tremendous skater, particularly for a player of his size (six-foot-four, 201 pounds). Very, very few 17-year-old defensemen play in the KHL, but Simashev appeared in 18 games with Lokomotiv in 2022–23.

“We called [Simashev] the unicorn of the draft,” Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong told reporters on Wednesday night. “It’s hard to find guys who can skate like that for a big man. We got to know him a little bit and kind of fell in love with his personality on the ice and also off the ice.

“You can’t trade for defensemen like that in the National Hockey League,” Armstrong continued. “Our thought process was to draft one, and we like where we got him.”

The Coyotes undoubtedly hope Simashev can be their version of Moritz Seider, who went from “stunner” to “steal” in the span of two years after being taken by the Detroit Red Wings with the No. 6 pick in 2019.

Like Seider, Simashev didn’t put up eye-popping numbers in his draft year, but he wowed teams with his poise, finesse, and physicality. If Simashev ends up following a similar trajectory, the Coyotes might be looking at someone who can match or eclipse Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s impressive peak years with the club.

That said, very, very few people expected Simashev to be the first Russian selected in this year’s draft. Nearly everyone expected it to be HC Sochi winger Matvei Michkov, who ultimately went to the Philadelphia Flyers at No. 7. If Simashev struggles to figure it out while Michkov turns into an NHL star, the ‘Yotes could be in for a world of hurt.

As PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan reported on Wednesday night, the Coyotes emerged from their pre-draft meeting with the “distinct impression” that Michkov did not want to play for them.

Conversely, both Simashev and But expressed an interest in joining the Coyotes.

But rose steadily up a number of public draft boards throughout the season, ending up as high as No. 15 with the folks over at McKeen’s Hockey. And our very own Steven Ellis, who also called Simashev a “home run” pick, preached plenty of positives about But in his retrospective of the first round.

“But could be a huge value pick here,” Ellis wrote. “He’s much more skilled than your average 6-foot-5 forward, which is very intriguing. He can do a lot of damage around the crease, both with his shot and how he pushes players around.”

Armstrong echoed Simashev in comparing the six-foot-five But to Tage Thompson. The third-year ‘Yotes GM also likened But to Alex Tuch, but cautioned fans and onlookers to be patient with his development. But, like Simashev, is under contract with Lokomotiv for the next two seasons.

“I think for Simashev, it’s just refining what’s already there. I think with But, it’s a little rawer,” Armstrong said. “He’s going to take a little bit longer because of his length. He looks to me like he’s grown since we’ve last seen him, I think he’s close to being six-foot-six.

“What you get is that skill factor with the size, and that’s hard to find,” Armstrong went on. “We project him somewhere between a first- and a second-line player.”

Arizona’s biggest need entering this year’s draft was a long-term No. 1 defenseman. J.J. Moser, Juuso Valimaki, Sean Durzi, and Victor Soderstrom are all fine pieces, but there wasn’t an obvious stalwart waiting in the wings before the Coyotes swung for the fences with Simashev.

Simashev won’t be eligible to participate in any Coyotes development camps until his KHL deal with Lokomotiv expires in 2025. As is the case with any prospect drafted out of Russia, the ‘Yotes will hold Simashev’s NHL signing rights in perpetuity.

And while it might not seem all that appealing for a young player to join an endlessly rebuilding Coyotes team, who wouldn’t want to take on a new challenge — and prove the doubters wrong — alongside one of their best buddies?

“I am so excited. I am very proud to be drafted by Arizona,” But told reporters after being selected by the Coyotes. “Phenomenal, two friends getting drafted by the same team, we’re going to play together.”

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