Player's Profile
- Name: Dimitri Megalinsky
- Position: D
- Shoots: Left
- Height: 6-1
- Weight: 210 lbs
- Birthdate: 1985-04-25
- Eligible for Draft: 2003
- Drafted:
- Hometown: Perm, Russia
- Acquired: 6th round (186th overall), 2005
- Playing In: Europe
Dimitri Megalinsky
Prospect Grade: 6.0 C (About Prospect Grades)
Profile Contributed By: HF Staff
History
Dimitri Megalinsky has spent his entire career in Russia thus far. The native of Perm, Russia was draft eligible in 2003, but chose to develop for another year in Russia. He entered the draft in 2004, but was overlooked mainly due to lack of international play. Finally in 2005, at the age of 20, he was selected 186th overall by the Ottawa Senators. Being one of the leaders on Russia’s WJC silver medal squad definitely helped him get noticed.
2002-03: A product of Molot Prikamye’s hockey school, Megalinsky spent the season with Yaroslavl’s junior team after joining them in the summer of 2001. He was heralded as one of the best defensemen in the junior leagues after he scored six points in eight playoff games.
2003-04: Megalinsky was one of Yaroslavl’s final cuts and was loaned to Voronezh in the Russia’s Upper League. He played 52 games with the squad and posted 12 points, playing as a 19-year-old among professionals. He also amassed a remarkable 164 penalty minutes.
2004-05: This would be Megalinsky’s breakout year as he finally got some international exposure and would ultimately be drafted by Ottawa in the 2005 draft. He played in only two games with Yaroslavl in the RSL due to injury and later due to the club's reliance on veteran players. Spending most of his time in various tournaments with Russia’s U20 squad, he captained Team Russia in the 2004 Canada Russia Challenge, picking up two assists in six games, and was assistant captain on Russia’s WJC silver medal team where he had a strong +3 performance in six games. He also made an appearance at the 4 Nations tournament.
2005-06: Megalinsky finally broke in and stuck with Yaroslavl in the RSL. He logged limited ice time on the teams’ fourth defensive pairing in 20 regular season games and 8 playoff games. On loan to Yaroslavl’s farm team in the Russia 3 division, Megalinsky had a terrific playoff run, scoring 14 points in 12 games. As the season ended, so to would his career with Yaroslavl.
2006-07: After signing with Khimik in the summer, Megalinsky once again had to prove himself, but was unable to crack the RSL squad and spent the season in the High League. Playing 33 contests, he picked up 11 points, 36 penalty minutes and a +11 rating, helping the club earn top the top ranking in the league. He also skated in 7 playoff games, going +4 in the process.
2007-08: Megalinsky joined Chekhov of the RSL.
Derek Cheng contributed to this profile
Talent Analysis
Megalinsky has good coordination and balance but is an average all-round skater with a fairly low top speed and average acceleration. Skating is the area which needs the most improvement before he can elevate his game to the next level. He possesses a hard precise slap shot and relatively soft hands. He excels at carrying the puck out of the defensive zone and making the first pass. He has terrific vision and strong overall puck skills. In his own end, he is extremely reliable. He uses his frame well in physical situations and fights hard along the boards. He is a physical threat on the blueline and loves to deliver big open ice hits. He needs to learn to play with more discipline as he is sometimes overaggressive with his physical play.
Future
Megalinsky has the potential to develop into a great two way defenseman. He has great hands and hockey sense, but needs to improve his skating and lose some weight to keep his development on track. He remains fairly unknown but has asserted himself as being a solid prospect in the mold of Anton Volchenkov. He almost made the trip to North America in the summer of 2007, but decided instead to spend another year in Russia. When he does arrive, he will likely need some seasoning in the AHL before playing regularly in the NHL, but he could potentially become a solid contributor on Ottawa’s defense.
Stats
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Profile Last Updated: August, 10th 2009
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