On the surface, Denis Gurianov still looks like a curious pick for draft nerds and fans. He was projected to go much later than 12th according to most scouting services. Bob McKenzie had him at 21. It’s no wonder then, that when it comes to players fans expect to push for playing time, like Jason Dickinson, Remi Elie, or Gemel Smith, Gurianov is often left out.
But his prospect tenure deserves closer inspection.
His troubles started in Russia after he was drafted. There he played 4th line minutes on one of the KHL's worst teams.