Roman Shokhrin
2023-24 Team: Loko-76 Yaroslavl
Date of Birth: Feb. 19, 2006
Place of Birth: Nizhny Novgorod, RUS
Height: 6-foot-4, Weight: 201 pounds
Shoots: Left
Position: Defenseman
Draft eligibility: first-year draft-eligible
Rankings
- NHL Central Scouting (EU Skaters): 39
- THN/Ryan Kennedy: 116
- McKeen’s Hockey: 110
- FC Hockey: 57
- Daily Faceoff: 112
Roman Shokhrin is a Russian defenseman who spent most of this season in the MHL — the Russian junior league — with Loko-76 Yaroslavl, where he posted 12 points in 28 games. He also appeared in eight games for Loko Yaroslavl in the KHL, totaling two points.
Shokhrin is one of the more intriguing later-round picks in this year’s draft. He’s a physically imposing defender at 6-foot-4, 201 pounds, who you notice almost immediately. More often than not, defensemen such as Shokhrin stand out for their defensive game. While he is sound defensively, that’s not the first thing that caught my eye with him.
Related: 2024 THW NHL Draft Guide
One of the first things I liked about Shokhrin’s game when watching a shift-by-shift video of him was his stickhandling, puck skills and offensive makeup. For a big defender, he has some untapped offensive ability. He moves the puck well and makes a good first pass in the defensive zone, and he’s not afraid to move the puck out of the defensive zone by skating it out. He’ll also jump up into the play when he doesn’t have the puck, so he has some good offensive traits.
There is a simplicity about Shokhrin’s game that I like, too. He’s not flashy by any stretch, but he makes the right play more often than not, and his simple passing is effective. His shot could use some work, but a team drafting Shokhrin won’t be selecting him to be a goal-scorer from the back end, so that’s not too much of a concern.
Defensively, Shokhrin isn’t overly physical, but he uses his size well. He stands up at the blue line and seems to defend the rush effectively. This shouldn’t be surprising for someone of his size, but he has a long reach that he uses to break up plays. He has good hockey sense and anticipates plays well in the defensive zone.
Another standout feature of Shokhrin’s defensive game is his play along the walls. He won’t try to check a defender through the glass, but this is where he uses his long reach and size to win 50/50 battles and get the puck back for his team. He’s also a decent net-front defender, though I would like to see him be a little more physical trying to clear the area around the blue paint. He should have no problem doing that at 6-foot-4, 201 pounds.
Shokhrin’s skating is OK for someone his size, but there is definitely room for improvement. His mechanics are good, which is a sign there is room for growth in this area. If he can add more explosiveness and burst to his skating, there’s an intriguing toolkit to work with in the other parts of his game.
Roman Shokhrin — NHL Draft Projection
Shokhrin will likely be a mid-round pick, perhaps somewhere in the fourth to fifth rounds. His size, underrated puck skills, and two-way presence make him an intriguing later pick for this year’s draft.
Other THW Draft Profiles
Quotables
“Shokhrin is a two-way defenseman that blends smooth, finesse-type plays with an imposing physical presence and reliability. The immediate draw in his game comes in the form of his size and stick handling. He is a big player but doesn’t rely on being overly physical to make stops. Instead, his combination of reach and anticipatory play gives him the edge when pinching boards…” – Jake Janso, FC Hockey
“Shokhrin is one of the players who really grew on me the more I watched him. He plays a nice two-way game with good puckhandling, offensive and defensive awareness and has some decent top speed. He’s a versatile defender who doesn’t lack confidence, especially when passing the puck. I do feel like Shokhrin will get caught watching too much, resulting in him easily getting beaten due to him not chasing after a player or the puck.” – Steven Ellis, Daily Faceoff
“Shokhrin is a big defenseman who uses his size advantage to smother opposing entries and effectively protect the puck. The strongest element of his game, however, may be his puck skills in the offensive zone and transition…” – Jake Janso, FC Hockey
Strengths
- Size/Strength
- Long reach
- Puck skills
- Hockey sense
- Physical presence
- Anticipation
- Simplicity
Under Construction — Improvements to Make
- Skating/adding more burst and explosive
- Physicality
- Being less conservative offensively and looking to stretch the ice more often than he does
- This will require adding more weapons to his passing ability
- Shot
NHL Potential
Shokhrin doesn’t have the highest ceiling, but there is a lot to like about his game. The key for him making an NHL roster will be becoming a better skater. Otherwise, the other parts of his game he does well suggest there’s a prospect with some NHL potential. He likely tops out as a third-pair defender in the NHL, but I see why NHL Central Scouting has him as a top-50 European prospect.
Risk/Reward
Risk: 2/5, Reward: 3/5
Fantasy Hockey Potential
Offense: 6/10, Defense: 6.5/10
Roman Shokhrin Highlights
Roman Shokhrin Stats
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