Mikhail Ilyin was the lone healthy prospect not on the ice for Thursday's opening day of development camp, with travel issues delaying his arrival from Russia.
Ilyin, 20, signed his three-year entry-level contract in May after the end of his second full season in the KHL, a year in which he put up 30 points (seven games, 23 assists) in 64 games.
Director of player development Tom Kostopoulos called his arrival "exciting."
"He's really intelligent, really good hockey sense," Kostopoulos told me of Ilyin. "Puck skills, good playmaker, decent scorer. I think we've got to keep pushing him to play a bit faster, work on his skating. ... But his hockey sense and intelligence is elite."
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
THE ASYLUM
Ilyin has 'elite' intelligence, hockey sense
Mikhail Ilyin was the lone healthy prospect not on the ice for Thursday's opening day of development camp, with travel issues delaying his arrival from Russia.
Ilyin, 20, signed his three-year entry-level contract in May after the end of his second full season in the KHL, a year in which he put up 30 points (seven games, 23 assists) in 64 games.
Director of player development Tom Kostopoulos called his arrival "exciting."
"He's really intelligent, really good hockey sense," Kostopoulos told me of Ilyin. "Puck skills, good playmaker, decent scorer. I think we've got to keep pushing him to play a bit faster, work on his skating. ... But his hockey sense and intelligence is elite."
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
We’d love to have you!