Egor Shilov
2025-26 Team: Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL)
Date of Birth: Apr. 30, 2008
Place of Birth: Tyumen, Russia
Ht: 6-foot-1 Wt: 181 pounds
Shoots: Left
Position: Center
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2026 first-year eligible
Rankings
NHL Central Scouting (Mid-Term): 17th (among NA skaters)
Baracchini’s March Top 96 (THW): 44th
Forbes’ Top 64 February Rankings (THW): 37th
Orth’s Top 32 February Rankings (THW): 27th
Craig Button (TSN): 26th
Daily Faceoff: 26th
Sam Cosentino (Sportsnet): 27th
Jason Bukala (Sportsnet): 29th
SMAHT Scouting: 24th
Always considered one of the finest players from Russia of his year of birth, Shilov is an extremely skilled offensive player who loves to play the puck in the offensive zone and seems to always know what to do to cause the most damage. Perhaps more of a playmaker than a sniper, he owns an exceptionally accurate shot that can be deadly, especially with the man advantage, when he has space and time to aim.
He plays well in transition and takes full advantage of playing on an all-Russian-speaking offensive trio with Alexei Vlasov and Kazakhstan’s Kornei Korneyev – all 2026 eligible, with the latter being born in late 2007. Shilov isn’t a liability in the defensive zone, picking up his position well and following plays in the neutral and defensive zones. However, he’s primarily a scoring-line forward whose biggest value lies in his ability to score points and produce offensive plays
The downside is that Shilov tends to play on a low rhythm, at a low pace. Of course, he needs to work on his skating, yet that may not be enough if he doesn’t speed up things also in his development. Moreover, his lack of international play makes it a bit harder to gauge his talent and potential holes in his play as he didn’t face elite competition in the last few years, despite playing at a high level in the Quebec Maritimes Major Junior Hockey League this season and with the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League in 2024-25. However, his speed, or lack thereof, will definitely make him slip down in the draft.
Related: THW’s 2026 NHL Draft Guide
As Canadian Hockey League players can now compete in the NCAA in their development route, Shilov will most likely move out of Victoriaville for the 2026-27 season to join the Boston University program. With the Terriers, the Russian is expected to join forces with other interesting prospects, including Chicago Blackhawks draftee Jack Pridham. It will be definitely interesting to see how Shilov will fare in a higher-level league where he will be called to produce, and not simply develop, with all the responsibilities of being an NHL pick.
Egor Shilov – NHL Draft Projection
Shilov’s skills are enough to hear his name in the first day of selections. He’s expected to be picked in the first round, but his lack of speed and relative mono-dimensional play are very likely to cause him to fall to around the 25-30 range despite his excellent passing, shooting, and puck-handling abilities.
Quotables
“One of the most dynamic power play producers in this draft class, Shilov is slippery holding pucks along the wall. He darts away from defenders at the last second, leaving open ice ahead of him, and with that extra time, he’s a dual threat to find open teammates or use his excellent stick and puck skills and quick release to get it to the net himself.”- Sam Cosentino, Sportsnet
“Shilov profiles as a cerebral and versatile center with elite vision and high-end puck skills. He excels at supporting possession, manipulating defenders, and creating high-quality scoring chances through anticipation, deception and creativity. He’s a true play driver that can dictate the flow of the game and a facilitator who can be trusted in all situations.”- Joey Fortin Boulay, McKeen’s Hockey
Strengths
- Skills-wise, he’s among the best in this year’s draft
- Can pass the puck or bury it himself as a complete offensive player
- Adequate defensive presence and good play on the dots
- Knows what to do in the offensive zone and won’t lose the puck in difficult situations
Under Construction/Improvements to Make
- Sub-par skating; needs to pick up the pace and avoid playing at the minimum possible speed
- His effort was questioned several times, but at this point, he deserves the benefit of the doubt – maybe he simply needs to be more tested in a higher-level environment
NHL Potential
Shilov has all the tools to become a scoring-line forward at the NHL level, but he’s more of a boom-and-bust player. It’s hard to imagine him grinding his way in the bottom lines and becoming more of a two-way player. Any team that is going to pick him will need to be patient with his development.
Risk- Reward Analysis
Risk: 4/5 Reward: 4/5
Fantasy Hockey Potential
Offense: 8/10 Defense: 4/10
Interviews/Links
Instagram – Egor Shilov talks to media before the CHL/USA Prospects Challenge
Egor Shilov Stats
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Videos
