There are just 12 players in KHL history with more points per game at age 19 than Utah Mammoth prospect Daniil But.
The two players closest to him on that list are Columbus Blue Jackets standout Kirill Marchenko and New York Rangers superstar Artemi Panarin. If But turns out half as good as those guys, look out.
But, the 12th-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, tallied nine goals and 28 points in 54 games last year, helping Yaroslavl Lokomotiv win the Gagarin Cup. He stands at 6-foot-6, and weighs 216 pounds — and having just turned 20, he’s still filling out.
Though his numbers are comparable to Marchenko and Panarin, his playing style is not. But is a true power forward — a rare breed in hockey these days.
He’s not easily moved from the front of the net, which allows him to pick up rebounds as well as anyone. On the rush, he has the length, muscle and speed to take the outside lane and cut inside while protecting the puck.
Fellow Mammoth prospect and Lokomotiv teammate Dmitri Simashev described But as “Tage Thompson from Russia.” Stylistically, that’s his closest comparable.
The factor in But’s game that does compare to Panarin and Marchenko is his playmaking ability. He sees passing lanes that nobody else would. That combined with his above-average (albeit inconsistent) shot makes him a dual threat on the power play.
Is Daniil But NHL-ready?
Panarin and Marchenko both excelled as soon as they came to the NHL, but neither one crossed the pond at 20 years old. Panarin stayed in Russia four more years and Marchenko stayed two.
But’s potential is clear, but his skills are a bit raw. His size makes him a choppy skater and, as mentioned, his shot isn’t as precise as that of most of his teammates. If he makes the Mammoth’s roster out of training camp, don’t expect him to finish top-10 in league scoring the way Panarin did as a rookie.
“He’s really impressive,” said Mammoth general manager Bill Armstrong of But. “His game has come a long way. ... He’s a massive human being and he’s learning to use his body more effectively.”
Where would Daniil But fit on the Utah Mammoth’s roster?
Every coach and general manager would tell you that roster spots are earned, not given. That’s only really true for some players, but But is certainly one of them.
Armstrong said on free agency day that it would “the most competitive camp we’ve ever had here.” That seems true.
As it stands right now, Utah’s forward group could look something like this on opening night:
Keller - Cooley - Guenther
Peterka - Hayton - Schmaltz
Crouse - McBain - Tanev
Kerfoot - Stenlund - Carcone
Notable scratches/demotions: But, O’Brien, Yamamoto
“They’ve played in one of the best leagues in the world, in the KHL, and they played on a championship team,” Armstrong said of But and Simashev. “I believe both of them will come into camp and will have a good opportunity to compete for a job, and I think they’ll be close to making it.”
He, too, employed the Tage Thompson comparison — and being the director of amateur scouting who drafted Thompson in 2016, Armstrong knows what it takes for a player like that to succeed.
“It takes a little bit of time to adjust — that size of body — to playing in the NHL,” he said. “So he’ll have, probably, a little bit harder adjustment, but at the same time, both those players are close.”
If But makes the team, expect the coaching staff to put him in positions to succeed. When Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley first got to the NHL, they played limited minutes, but they always played with good line mates.
He won’t likely play 20 minutes a night or have a set spot on the first power play unit, but don’t slot him in as a fourth-line guy, either. He’ll likely see regular ice time with one of the middle-six groups and he could be an option on the second power play unit — especially with how much it struggled last year.
What happens if Daniil But doesn’t make the team?
Both But and Simashev have European assignment clauses in their contracts, meaning if they don’t make the NHL team, they automatically go back to the KHL. But there’s a catch.
According to Armstrong, this particular clause — which is present in both players’ contracts — gives the team some runway to develop them in North America. For about the first year and a half of their entry-level contracts, they can play in the AHL. After that, the EAC would kick in.
That means there’s no pressure for either player to make the Mammoth roster out of camp. If they need time to adjust to the North American game or become comfortable with the language and culture, they can take their time before being put under the bright lights of the NHL.