Oilers Assistant General Manager Keith Gretzky likes what he sees in Ziyat Paigin, the club's seventh-round pick in 2015. Gretzky scouted Paigin while with the Boston Bruins organization and liked him then, and he had the chance to see the prospect at Development Camp last week.
"Very impressive," Gretzky told Bob Stauffer on Oilers Now last Friday.
"For a big man, he moves well and I think it's like Jesse coming over here. He's got to learn the language. He's a happy, happy kid and there's lots to like in his game. Give him some time and some development time. It's good to see when those guys come over here and they know they have to go to Bakersfield, they want to go there, we have great coaching down there so it gives him some time and hopefully he develops and can be in Edmonton because he's a big man and it'll be good to see."
The first thing you notice with Paigin is how big he is, as the 22-year-old defenceman stands at 6-foot-6. He had a big year in the KHL in 2015-16, when he scored nine goals and tallied 27 points in 37 games from the back end.
BLOG: Keith Gretzky impressed with Paigin
