Michkov, Askarov front Russia’s entry at 2022 World Juniors
Matvei Michkov, the potential No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, is among the prospects set to represent Russia at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Michkov enters the World Juniors with a history of international hockey accolades that includes the 2021 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, where he raked up an impressive 16 points (12 goals, four assists) in only seven games as a 16-year-old. He left the tournament with the MVP and Best Forward awards, plus the tournament’s most goals and points.
Michkov currently plays in the KHL, arguably the second best league outside of the NHL. Although just turning 17 on December 9, he has five points (two goals, three assists) in 13 games.
He is joined on Russia’s entry byYaroslav Askarov, arguably the best goaltender prospect in the world. The first-round selection (No. 11) in the 2020 NHL Draft of the Nashville Predators was nominated as the Top-3 Player on Russia’s club at last year’s tournament after posting a 2.50 goals-against average and .914 save percentage in six games.
The 2022 World Juniors will be the last time Askarov will get a chance to bring home a gold for Russia. He has a silver medal from the 2020 tournament.
Russia has plenty of draft pedigree up front participating in the tournament.
Danila Yurov, a projected top-five pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, will be a focal point, as will Fyodor Svechkov and Nikita Chibrikov. Svechkov was the No. 19 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft of the Predators, and Chibrikov was selected in the second round (No. 50) in 2021 by the Winnipeg Jets.
The big question regarding Russia will be their defensive group.
Only one player, Shakir Mukhamadullin, was selected in the first round of the NHL Draft. He was selected with the No. 20 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft by the New Jersey Devils.
Here’s a rundown of Russia’s roster for the World Juniors:
| POS | NAME | HT | WT | TEAM | LEAGUE | NHL Rights | YEAR | RND | PICK |
| G | Yaroslav Askarov | 6’4″ | 176 | SKA St. Petersburg | KHL | Nashville Predators | 2020 | 1 | 11 |
| G | Yegor Guskov | 5’11” | 201 | Loko Yaroslavl | MHL | 2022 | |||
| G | Maxim Motorygin | 6’0″ | 165 | CSK VVS Samara | VHL | 2022 | |||
| D | Vladimir Grudinin | 5’10” | 177 | CSKA Moskva | KHL | 2022 | |||
| D | Kirill Kirsanov | 6’1″ | 198 | SKA St. Petersburg | KHL | Los Angeles Kings | 2021 | 3 | 84 |
| D | Arseni Koromyslov | 6’3″ | 181 | SKA-1946 | MHL | 2022 | |||
| D | Shakir Mukhamadullin | 6’2″ | 170 | Salavat Yulaev | KHL | New Jersey Devils | 2020 | 1 | 20 |
| D | Nikita Novikov | 6’4″ | 207 | Dynamo Moskva | KHL | Buffalo Sabres | 2021 | 6 | 188 |
| D | Yegor Savikov | 5’10” | 163 | Spartak Moskva | KHL | 2022 | |||
| D | Nikita Smirnov | 6’0″ | 172 | SKA -1946 | MHL | 2022 | |||
| D | Kirill Steklov | 6’4″ | 190 | Russkie Vityazi | MHL | 2022 | |||
| F | Nikita Chibrikov | 5’10” | 172 | SKA-1946 | MHL | Winnipeg Jets | 2021 | 2 | 50 |
| F | Semyon Demidov | 5’10” | 174 | Russkie Vityazi | MHL | 2022 | |||
| F | Ivan Didkovsky | 5’10” | 185 | MHK Dynamo | MHL | 2022 | |||
| F | Nikita Guslistov | 5’10” | 174 | Severstal | KHL | Carolina Hurricanes | 2021 | 7 | 209 |
| F | Marat Khusnutdinov | 5’11” | 176 | SKA St. Petersburg | KHL | Minnesota Wild | 2020 | 2 | 37 |
| F | Matvei Michkov | 5’10” | 159 | SKA St. Petersburg | KHL | 2023 | |||
| F | Alexander Pashin | 5’8″ | 154 | Toros Neftekamsk | VHL | Carolina Hurricanes | 2020 | 7 | 199 |
| F | Vasily Ponomaryov | 5’10” | 181 | Spartak Moskva | KHL | Carolina Hurricanes | 2020 | 2 | 53 |
| F | Fyodor Svechkov | 6’0″ | 187 | SKA-1946 | MHL | Nashville Predators | 2021 | 1 | 19 |
| F | Kirill Tankov | 6’2″ | 190 | SKA-Neva | VHL | Pittsburgh Penguins | 2021 | 7 | 218 |
| F | Pavel Tyutnev | 5’10” | 185 | Loko Yaroslavl | MHL | 2022 | |||
| F | Danila Yurov | 6’1″ | 179 | Metallurg | KHL | 2022 | |||
| F | Ivan Zinchenko | 6’2″ | 183 | Vityaz Podolsk | KHL | 2022 | |||
| F | Dmitri Zlodeyev | 5’11” | 183 | Spartak Moskva | KHL | Vancouver Canucks | 2020 | 6 | 175 |