DRAFT: Mukhamadullin Gives Devils Size and Skill from the Blueline

Shakir Mukhamadullin got up early on Wednesday in Russia and for good reason.
Out of bed at 6:15 in the city of Ufa almost 1,000 miles east of Moscow, tucked inside the Urals, the tall (6'4") and rangy defenseman got the early-morning pick-me-up that any young hockey player dreams about.
"I never thought I would go so high, in the first round," said Mukhamadullin, in interpreted remarks from Russian, "my heart was beating so hard, so fast."
His modesty and excitement aside - even speaking in another language and through the foggy lens of a Zoom call it was obvious how elated the 18-year-old was - Mukhamadullin has been pegged as a first-round around 20th since about the mid-point of 2019-20.
He is a mobile and big defender with significant offensive skills playing for Ufa, the KHL club whose proper name is Salavat Yuleav Ufa but is commonly referred to by the city where its based, which is where Mukhamadullin grew up.

Hockey's growth, indeed, its transformation in recent years, has made Mukhamadullin and players like him much more valuable. Defensemen are expected to defend, of course, but more than ever they are relied upon to key the attack, or at the very least not stunt a team's offensive flow.
Skill matters more than ever and it was clear that Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald thought he got a skillful package with the 20th overall pick on Tuesday night.

"When you look around the league, the playoffs (just completed) those type of players are now (so important)," said Fitzgerald, adding later: "He's tall, lanky but he's also rangy, he moves very well."
There may be a sense that the Devils have delved into the unknown in picking Mukhamadullin. But being known to the common fan and the scouting fraternity are two different things. He was widely viewed last season, even as NHL clubs were going to Ufa to scout his teammate, Rodion Amirov, who was selected five picks earlier by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
"Not to hockey people," said Fitzgerald of the sense of mystery around Mukhamadullin. "Every time we (went to) video even (with the intention) to see Amirov, we kept seeing Shakir…to the point that we started to think this is a guy we should be looking at."
One aspect of young Russians is that they tend to spend their Draft year playing multiple levels, in that country's junior league, in U18/U20 international competition and for the select few who can handle what many consider the second-best league in the world, the KHL. Mukhamadullin got into 27 games with his KHL club last year and was steady, if unspectacular. He made just as good an impression playing a series of games for his country, including at the World Junior A Challenge in Canada in late 2019.
This year - the KHL has already played more than a month of games - Mukhamadullin has risen to the challenge and drastically expanded his role. If there was a concern last season, it was that Mukhamadullin played one speed: steady but not always in tune for what the situation called for. Through the early going this season, he has improved markedly in that respect.

"They are giving me lots of ice time and I appreciate it very much," he said of his Ufa coaches, "but I have to continue to work and bring myself to higher level and prove why (my coaches) have given me a chance to play."
So, what about a direct self-assessment? Even through the language barrier, you could tell that Mukhamadullin was aware of expectations for a player who plays his type of game and that it needs to be balanced against being a good teammate and being responsible defensively.
When asked, he did allow for a moment to describe his upside, and surely Devils brass and fans' hopes.
"I like to take a shot and scoring goals," he said, before pulling back a bit.
"For me it's important to play with team, bring the team together. Of course, I like to score goals but the team is always more important."
For a Russian kid who hails from a city known for its hockey club and breeding of prized horses, it sounds like the Devils may have a thoroughbred.