Vladislav Firstov

2018-19 Team: Waterloo Black Hawks

Date of Birth: June 19, 2001

Place of Birth: Yaroslavl, Russia

Ht: 6’ 0” Wt: 181 lbs

Shoots: Left

Position: LW

NHL Draft Eligibility: 2019 first-year eligible

Rankings

With a name like Firstov, expect the puns: “Firstov all, is he any good?” “I hope he wasn’t Firstov the ice.” Through 58 games, the USHL rookie has 24-31-55 points, good for third on Waterloo and 14th overall in the league. His 55 points also have him tied with Shane Pinto for first first in points among rookies

Related: Our Free NHL Draft Guide

With a name like Firstov, also expect to hear the kind of xenophobic Russian stereotypes long trumpeted by the likes of Don Cherry: robotic, enigmatic, lazy, selfish. Just don’t believe them. Firstov displays few, if any, of those traits.

The number of Russian-born players taken in the NHL draft peaked in 2000 when 42 players were taken. It dropped to single digits around the time the KHL was formed in 2008, and for the last several years the number has hovered around 20. The prejudice against Russian-born players among some NHL general managers is hardly a secret or a thing of the past. Nonetheless, the current Russian-born NHL stars are chipping away at those stereotypes. Last season, Alex Ovechkin became the first Russian-born captain of a Stanley Cup championship team. In a few days, Nikita Kucherov will become the third Russian-born player in NHL history to capture the Art Ross Trophy with a potential point total not seen in the NHL in 20 years.

Firstov is an all-in team player who plays all three zones, competes hard, has great hands and a bomb of a shot. His origins should have no impact on when he’s taken in the draft. He’ll be selected on well-earned merits.

Firstov has committed to the University of Connecticut for the fall.

Vladislav Firstov – NHL Draft Projection

Second round.

Quotables

Check out the chatter about Firstov at Hockey’s Future Boards.

“Firstov is a solidly built and skilled forward who skates at an elite level, is very explosive and really has a lot of power in his stride, making him a real force on the ice. He has good hands and puck skills and makes some really creative plays with the puck and reads the game very quickly. His shot is hard and accurate displaying strong finishing abilities. He competes at a high level and really works for his team.” Draft Prospects Hockey

“He’s adapted so well to the league and has so many pro elements to his game. He’s got an NHL-ready shot; he can really fire it. He’s a big-bodied power forward that can possess the puck really well in traffic (and) his hockey sense is really good.” David Gregory, NHL Central Scouting

UConn with big recruit as keep Russian ways going with commit from Vladislav Firstov ‘01 (Waterloo). Solid sized fwd, skilled player with stick skills and shot, good offensive instincts. Leads all USHL rookies & 6th in league scoring 11-12-23 in 20gp. #2019NHLDraft — Russ Bitely (@russbites) November 27, 2018

Strengths

Shot (it’s a cannon)

Hockey IQ

Sees the ice well

Skating

Compete level

Under Construction (Improvements to Make)

Add some bulk

NHL Potential

He has all the tools to play pro hockey in North America, and could be ready to suit up in a couple years.

Risk-Reward Analysis

Risk – 2/5, Reward – 4.5/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offence – 8/10, Defence – 6/10

Awards/Achievements

Firstov was named to the rosters of the seventh annual USHL/NHL Top Prospects game in Jan. 2019.

Interview/Profile Links

Daily Motion: Firstov USHL Highlights﻿

Video