Buruyanov shows some high-end flashes and is easy to notice because of his speed, his work ethic and his motor. Exits and enters zones with ease, separating from opponents with his acceleration while stickhandling the puck and moving laterally around others, and can draws penalties this way by catching defenders flat-footed. He is a great skater, showing high-end speed and elusiveness as he darts down the ice. He employs crossovers as he gains speed and quite often blows past defenders. Always seems to be buzzing around the ice and getting involved in the play. His awareness in the attacking zone is excellent, whether that be from finding the open lanes and driving the net or making space for himself to make a play. While his 5-foot-10, 172-pound frame doesn’t allow him to power through checks and tight traffic just yet, it’s not for a lack of trying. However, beyond his ability to push the pace and his advanced skill when it comes to exits and entries, it’s hard to see exactly what else he brings to the table and how much value he will bring to a team. His play on both sides of special teams isn’t particularly notable. While he can help his team gain the offensive zone, he doesn’t appear to have enough skill to get inside enemy defenses or beat goalies with consistency, and his fairly pedestrian scoring totals in both club play and internationally reflect that. Additionally, his short reach and the fact that he plays wing instead of center hurt his upside as a defensive forward. Being a late 2002 birthday who missed the 2020 draft by two weeks doesn’t work in his favour, either. The best case scenario for Buruyanov is that he carves out an NHL role as a Bottom 6 energy winger one day, but at this point that’s far from a sure outcome.

– FCHockey’s 2021 NHL Draft Guide