Dmitri Simashev and Daniil But are both teammates and friends.
They're now also the newest Arizona Coyotes.
General Manager Bill Armstrong and his staff picked Simashev and But sixth and 12th, respectively, in the 2023 NHL Draft on Wednesday, and the Coyotes have added even more top-tier talent to their ever-growing prospect pipeline. Making the day even more special is that Simashev, a defenseman, and But, a forward, are friends and teammates, having played together for the last three seasons with the MHL's Yaroslavl Jr team.
They also each notched a little experience this past season with their parent club, as Simashev played 18 games while But played 15.
The 18-year-old Simashev recorded one goal and nine assists while finishing with a plus-22 rating in 29 MHL regular season games this season, and added two goals and four assists in 10 playoff games. Armstrong said the towering blue liner is physically dominant, but still possesses a strong skating and skill ability.
"We call him the unicorn of the draft, and they're hard to find, guys that can move and skate like that for a big man," he said. "We got to know him a little bit and just kind of fell in love with his personality on the ice, but also off the ice. He's got leadership capabilities, he speaks good English, and he's a very engaging and intriguing prospect at that side.
"You can't trade for a defenseman like that in the National Hockey League."
In addition to being friends with But, Simashev also said he's familiar with prospect Artem Duda, a defenseman the Coyotes drafted 36th overall in 2022.
He beamed from ear-to-ear upon hearing his name alongside his mom, who made the trip to Nashville along with him.
"When they said my name, Dmitri Simashev, my mom gasped and said, "I'm proud, and it's your dream to be drafted," Simashev said. "Being in the NHL is my dream, and I'm shocked. Picked six, yeah, it's incredible."
But, meanwhile, is heralded for his scoring and playmaking ability, and the forward brings even more size to the Coyotes' prospect pool at 6-foot-5 and 203 pounds. He recorded 15 goals and 11 assists in 26 games while chipping in four goals and five assists in seven playoff games.
He also played 81 MHL games from 2021-23, notching 76 points and 56 penalty minutes while finishing with a plus-27 rating over that span. He also debuted with the team's parent KHL club, Yaroslavl, where he scored two goals in 15 games.
When asked about his favorite NHL players, But said he enjoyed Pavel Datsyuk's style of play while adding he currently likes watching Tage Thompson.
The latter is exactly who Armstrong compared him to.
"He's got a combination of, a little bit of a Tage Thompson or Alex Touch-type player," he said. "We just love the compete in him. He's a difference maker. He wants to make a difference, and he's got size.
"For us, the size-and-skill factor is a really big advantage, because we've drafted the [Conor] Geekies now, we've added the [Jack] McBains, we've got the [Lawson] Crouses, and we've got a little bit of size, so to have him, and have both, for us is just excitement."
Associate Director of Amateur Scouting Ryan Jankowski said But's versatility made him an attractive prospect to draft.
"He's a big body, skates, he can transport pucks, he can bring pucks into the offensive zone, but at the same time he can shoot, he can make plays, so he's very versatile, and that's what we like," he said. "That part of him is going to still adapt."
But was overjoyed at the thought of joining forces with his MHL teammate in the desert.
Coyotes Select Daniil But with 12th Overall Pick of the 2023 NHL Draft
"I am so excited. I am very proud to be drafted by Arizona," But said. "It's phenomenal, two friends getting drafted by the same team, we're going to play together."
Both prospects are under contract with their current teams for another two seasons, but both Armstrong and his staff said that's not much of a concern considering the typical development cycle of a newly drafted prospect.
"Everybody's two years, whether you're in Juniors in Canada or college, everybody's two years out," said Coyotes Director of Amateur Scouting Darryl Plandowski. "Playing over there for two years, they're developing, they've got a good path, so we weren't too concerned."
Add in the fact that the Coyotes have drafted a combined six players in the first round of the last three drafts, and the team is excited to see their newest arrivals continue their development.
"It's good for their development if they stay over there," Armstrong said. "Both of them are with a great organization. They work on developing and they're both in really good situations, so there's no hurry for them to get over here."
Both Simashev and But said they hope to play regularly with their parent club in the KHL next season, a move that would greatly aid in their development considering it's one of the top leagues in the world.
The fact that they'll be developing as teammates can not only help in their development, but also aid in acclimating to the NHL when the time for them to arrive comes.
Armstrong pointed to Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev and forward Nikita Kucherov as prime examples.
"I think it helps to have players from the same country to come in and have that relationship for them," he said. "They can navigate it both together and continue to work on their English. We're really excited about landing both of them."
Jankowski agreed.
"Hopefully they come over together as a duo, and they've got a friendship, and they're long-lasting teammates," he said. "It will help when they do decide to come over for the transition to North America."
For now, the pair of new Coyotes are enjoying the experience together, all smiles at Bridgestone Arena as they took in the experience from beginning to end.
They'll continue their journey to the NHL as both teammates and friends, and the Coyotes are over the moon with their first round on Wednesday.
"We wanted to take the two players on the board that we thought would fit our culture, and those were the two players that we selected," Armstrong said. "Size, skill, good compete, and they're workers. Those guys come to the rink every day to compete."
Rounds 2-7 kick off at 8 am MST on Thursday, and will be broadcast on NHL Network.
