It’s that time of the year for The Win Column’s NHL Draft Rankings and Draft Profiles! Earlier on, we released the TWC consolidated 2026 NHL Draft rankings. The 2026 NHL Draft will take place on June 26 and 27 in Buffalo. Today, we’re looking at Russian centre Egor Shilov, one of the top forwards available at the 2026 NHL Draft.
The Russian was the top-scoring rookie in QMJHL this season and has committed to the NCAA.
Who is Egor Shilov?
| Position | Shoots | Height | Weight | Nationality | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centre | Left | 6’1″ / 185cm | 181lbs / 82kg | Russia | TWC Rank #27 / CS NA Rank #19 |
Shilov was born and raised in Russia, but came over to North America to continue his hockey career in 2024-25. Standing at 6’1″ with plenty of room to add to his frame, he no doubt has the size required to play centre in the NHL.
Shilov’s on-ice production
| Year | Draft Rel. | League | Team | GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–24 | D-2 | Russia U17 | Yunost Yekaterinburg U17 | 30 | 31 | 45 | 76 |
| 2024-25 | D-1 | USHL | Green Bay Gamblers | 39 | 11 | 17 | 28 |
| 2025-26 | D+0 | QMJHL | Victoriaville Tigres | 63 | 32 | 50 | 82 |
A solid showing in the USHL
After coming to North America in 2024, Shilov put together a nice season in the USHL as a 16-year-old, totalling 28 points in 39 games. The total was good for 8th among U17 skaters in the USHL that season, behind fellow top 2026 draft prospects like Tynan Lawerence, Nikita Klepov, J.P. Hurlbert and Jack Hextall.
Crushing the QMJHL
This past season, Shilov made the jump to the QMJHL and never looked out of place. The Russian centre posted 82 points in 63 games, which was good for seventh in the QMJHL among all players. Among U18 skaters, Shilov finished first in the QMJHL and earned the Rookie of the Year award for his efforts.
All this despite playing for a truly terrible Tigres team that had just one other skater finish with over 50 points. In other words, Shilov had virtually no help and still managed 82 points as a rookie.
Shilov’s strengths
Puck skills
It’s not a stretch to say Shilov is one of the most purely skilled forwards in the entire draft class. He’s a weapon offensively, regularly making defenders look silly with his puck skills. He’s a super shifty and slippery player with the puck, and is a handful for defenders to contain. With possession, he’s one of the best forwards in the 2026 draft.
He’s the type of forward who can manipulate defenders when he has the puck because of how skilled he is. His first touch is borderline elite, and there aren’t many players who have better stick handling in the entire class.
There’s a reason he was able to rack up 82 points in the QMJHL despite playing on one of the league’s least talented teams. Give him some better players to work with, and his offence could explode in his D+1 season.
Creativity
Shilov is a super creative centre, with the puck skills and vision to make things happen whenever he has the puck in the offensive zone. It’s his creativity that made him a major threat on the power play in the QMJHL. He’s constantly finding teammates in open areas or creating chances for himself. If his development goes well, you could see him running an NHL power-play unit one day.
Shilov’s areas of weakness
Pace
Normally someone with Shilov’s skill would be a lock for the first round, but unfortunately, he has some major flaws in his game. One of those big red flags is his overall pace. While he’s not the worst skater in the world, he’s not exactly super quick either and even at the QMJHL level, it’s evident that he needs to add more pace to his game.
It’s not just his skating either; he plays the game at a very slow pace. It works in the junior ranks, but once he starts playing against tougher competition, he’s really going to have to increase the speed at which he operates.
Compete level
Another big knock on Shilov is his overall compete level. He can tend to get lost in the background and get caught floating when he doesn’t have the puck on his stick. There are games where it seems as if he’s taking multiple shifts off and just watching things happen versus impacting the play.
While he isn’t bad defensively, there are times when the effort level just isn’t where you’d want it to be. That will be a major issue with NHL scouts and teams, and is one of the main reasons he’s likely to fall out of the first round.
Shilov’s comparables
One comparison that comes to mind is current Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich. Like Shilov, Buchnevich offers a ton of skill offensively and is a super creative and deceptive player with the puck. Buchnevich can also play down the middle or on the wing, which is a likely future for Shilov as well.
While Buchnevich is an impact player, he’s never been a go-to option on a team’s top line and works more as a complementary piece, which is how I see Shilov developing as well.
Fit with the Flames
| Organizational need addressed | Offensive Centre |
| Realistic pick range | 25-35 |
| NHL timeline | 3-4 years |
| Fit verdict | Great fit |
Shilov looks like a great fit for the Flames. He’s incredibly gifted offensively and can play down the middle of the ice, two things the Flames desperately need more of in their organization. He’s also a great fit given where he’s likely to land in the draft. The Flames will have three different picks in the 28-36 range, giving them ample opportunity to scoop up Shilov if he starts due to fall.
Summary
Shilov is a supremely talented forward who comes with a similar amount of baggage. He’s very much a boom-or-bust prospect, which makes him an ideal gamble for a Flames team holding six picks in the first two rounds. If he can work on his skating and compete level, he could be one of the biggest steals of the draft.
Taking a swing on a player with borderline elite skill despite the question marks elsewhere seems right up Craig Conroy’s alley. I mean, he’s had plenty of success drafting Russian wingers out of the QMJHL so far. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Shilov is a Flame in June.
Risk: 4/5
Reward: 4/5
Projection: Top-six offensive driver