Anton Silayev, LHD/Torpedo
When I first saw Anton Silayev’s name listed highly in rankings like Pronman’s and those over at Tankathon, Mattias Samuelsson and Nikita Novikov first came to mind regarding his build, but Silayev is even bigger, currently clocking in at 6’7, 207 lbs. Silayev is also so good, he’s seeing better-than-expected ice time with the KHL’s Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, having put up 11 points and three goals in 63 regular season contests.
Silayev also put up another two assists in five playoff games, and he’s most recently joined the MHL’s Chaika Nizhny Novgorod, logging another trio of helpers in 10 playoff contests. While I was thinking about potential comparisons within the organization, Corey Pronman had his own comparison to make: Zdeno Chara.
Yeah, Sabres fans are more than familiar with Chara, who spent 14 seasons with the Boston Bruins and, before that, four years with the Ottawa Senators. Known for a surprising two-way game that saw him log 39 points or more for nine seasons in a row, Chara knew how to use his size and strength.
Expect Silayev to do the same when he eventually arrives in North America, even if he doesn’t become a serviceable points-producer in the NHL. But as Sabres fans have learned since the Kevyn Adams era began, you can never have too many physical players in your prospects pool, just waiting to be unleashed in the NHL - and Silayev will be that player.