Toronto Maple Leafs 2020/21 Countdown to Camp: Mikhail Abramov

Statistically Speaking

As I alluded to earlier, Mikhail Abramov was head and shoulders above the rest of his Victoriaville teammates this season.

Abramov led his team in goals by 16 and points by an incredible 35, he was truly the driving force behind any offence Victoriaville created. In fact, he scored a point on 37.59 per cent of Victoriaville’s even-strength goals last year, a mark good for fifth league-wide.

The only players to better that mark were Alexis Lafreniere (45.75%), Alexander Khovanov (40.68%), Yegor Sokolov (40.11%), and Xavier Simoneau (38.26%). (Data from pick224.com)

When you look at the raw point totals for those in the top five, though, Abramov sits well behind. His 76 points pale in comparison to each of them, as all four rank in the QMJHL’s top five with Abramov down in 15th.

This comes down to Abramov’s lack of quality teammates. Each of Lafreniere, Khovanov, and Sokolov had linemates that scored more points than Abramov’s 76. Though Simoneau’s effort was much more solo than either of those three, Drummondville’s second-highest scorer was still 20 points clear of Victoriaville’s second-highest scoring forward. Mikhail Abramov was given absolutely zero help this season and was still able to thrive.

Staying on the offensive side of things, Abramov’s production largely came from even strength with 65.79% of his points coming at 5v5, a positive sign going forwards. While powerplay scoring is obviously an important aspect for top players, scoring on the man advantage translates less to the professional game.

A history of strong play at 5v5 makes a player much more likely to succeed at the next level, and this is exactly what Abramov showed this season. Give him a talented winger(s), and you can guarantee a big uptick in his point totals, plus much more eye-popping powerplay metrics as well.

Switching to the other side of the rink, Abramov is no defensive wizard but is more than breakeven. He ranked fifth among Victoriaville forwards in even-strength goals for at 54.31%, and that’s while going up against other team’s top lines night in, night out.

Finally, Abramov saw his faceoff percentage jump from 49.1% in 2018-19 to 51.8% this year, a small but notable increase in success at the faceoff dot. It remains to be seen whether he will play professionally as a centre or a left-winger, but consistent progress on the dot will be key if he is to stay at centre ice at the next level.