Since his draft season, the projection for Ivan Miroshnichenko has been a bit murky. From his time in Russia to his transition to North America, there is promise, but also a lot of questions. Can he be a top line forward? Will he crack the lineup in time to be a dual shooting threat with Alex Ovechkin? What exactly is his upside in dynasty leagues? We’ll answer these questions and more.

Ivan Miroshnichenko, D0 (#63). VHL: Flies the zone with great speed as teammates gain possession down low in the D-zone. Teammate dumps the puck from the D-zone all the way to the O-zone corner, gets to the puck first and scores. 2022-01-18 #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/m5VPWxiQaG

— Fantasy Hockey Doctor - Victor Nuño (@VictorNuno12) February 13, 2024

Miroshnichenko was taken 20th overall by the Washington Capitals in the 2022 NHL draft. The EP Rinkside team ranked him 33rd so we felt 20th was a bit of a reach. On the other hand, it made sense. The team felt that on pure talent alone, he would be in the early 20’s.

Ivan Miroshnichenko, D+1 (#63). KHL: Off the face-off, makes a great deke to evade the opponent and gets into the slot all alone, but the shot goes wide. 2022-12-23 #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/SkryEGV3It

— Fantasy Hockey Doctor - Victor Nuño (@VictorNuno12) February 13, 2024

Not only was the passport an issue for Miroshnichenko, but he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in the middle of his draft season. This on