Anton Silayev Profile, Is he a Future Chicago Blackhawk

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Anton Silayev is sort of a man (prospect) of mystery to most. Sure, you see his name high on draft boards or being in the discussion as a potential wildcard amongst many pundits that could shake up this June's draft, but who is he in relation to being a potential Chicago Blackhawk?

In the above video (thanks to NHL Draft Pros), which is in place in the header image as there are not alot of great pictures of "just" Anton Silayev available, you will see a young blue liner that stands out in more ways than just the obvious one. That being that he is a 6'7 212lb left shot defender at just 17 years old. Not only that, but he is also playing exclusively in the KHL for Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod at this age.

For reference, refer back to Matvei Michkov a year ago in his draft eligible campaign as well as now looking at Ivan Demidov. Both of those forwards, more slight of build than Silayev, played each season before the draft predominately in the MHL division of hockey in Russia. Having a young blue liner like Silayev playing (at the time of this writing) 57 games in the KHL is impressive. Not only that, but he is showing that he is staying in the top pro league for a reason.

What are Anton Silayev's best skill traits?

Anton Silayev, while an imposing player, is an excellent skater that shows well in controlling possession as well as thwarting offesnive rush attempts due to his reach and skating prowess. It is quite unusual for a player of Silayev's size and age (will turn 18 just two months before the draft) to be such a technically sound skater, but that is exactly what he is: a tremendous skater that just so happens to be 6'7 and 212 pounds.

In the video below (recently via Elite Prospects) they focus in on his fluid skating motion and burst of acceleration. This has many, including us here at Blackhawk Up, intrigued by Silayev as a potential fit for the Blackhawks should they select in the 2nd through 4th spots of the draft. Questions remain, but to say anything other than he will be considered inside the top 5 for any team this year is false information at this stage.

Will the Blackhawks take him, if he is available?

Prospects like Anton Silayev don't come around very often. When they do, they typically get selected quite high in the draft. Sure players of his stature like a Victor Hedman (6'6), Aaron Ekblad (6'4), or Owen Power (6'6) were all taken inside the top 2 of the draft in their selections, but there were more offensive upsides to their projections than Silayev's game at the current moment.

More to the point here is the risk, will Silayev be more like Chicago's own Alex Vlasic that is showing an excellent defensive IQ in combination with his size and reach? That would mean having a very good top 4 blue line player on the roster, but not necessarily the next Victor Hedman. What if though, Silayev is passed on for a Dickinson, Levshunov, or Parekh and becomes a player that resembles the great Zdeno Chara? That right there is why Anton Silayev is one of the most interesting prospects we've come across here at Blackhawk Up in years.

The "what if" game with Silayev is endless at this stage (just 17 years old). Will he go #2 overall in the draft? It may come down to whom drafts in those spots. For one, if Anaheim picks 2nd overall, we believe he would take Silayev. If Chicago drafts 2nd, we feel Levshunov (as a right shot) may be the preference first. However if the Blackhawks select 3rd-5th and Anton Silayev is on the board, I'm not sure having 2 elite defensive LD that are 6'6 to 6'7 inside your top 4 is a bad thing....

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