Prospect Update: Yegor Sidorov

By Thomas Harrington

The Anaheim Ducks chose forward Yegor Sidorov in the third round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, 85th overall. He completed his third season of WHL hockey, all with the Saskatoon Blades.

Sidorov skated in a career high 66 games and scored 50 goals and 88 points, bettering his previous year when he scored 40 goals and 76 points. His 50 goals were tied for fourth in the WHL, and he led Saskatoon in goals and was second in points. He also led the WHL in game-winning goals with 12. Sidorov played in 16 playoff games and scored 15 goals and 23 points. The Blades made it to the conference finals where they lost to the Moose Jaw Warriors in seven games. Even though he only played in 16 games, his 15 goals led the WHL postseason, while his 23 points were sixth. Among players who played in 15 or more games, he finished the playoffs third in points per game.

Sidorov is an explosive goal scorer. He had a blistering start to the season, with 15 goals through his first 16 games. He also finished the year with five hat tricks; three of them came in the first two months of the season. That didn’t stop in the playoffs, as he had hat tricks in back-to-back games. Sidorov is a good but not great skater who sees the ice very well. He loves to shoot the puck and has improved his 200 foot game, though he still has work to do in that department.

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Sidorov was eligible to be drafted at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, but went undrafted. The 40 goals he scored the following year were what led Anaheim to take him in the third round of 2023. Because he was drafted as a 19-year old instead of 18, he only needed to spend one year in juniors before being eligible to join the San Diego Gulls this coming season. While a spot in San Diego’s lineup is not a guarantee, the fact that he was recently signed to his entry-level deal means the Ducks are hoping he’ll be a mainstay with the Gulls in the 2024-2025 season.

I don’t want to set expectations too high for what will be Sidorov’s first professional season. He’s a player more known for his goal scoring than his playmaking abilities, so my first expectation for him will be to score some goals. The top goal-scoring rookie in the AHL scored 26 goals, so I’m not going to expect that out of Sidorov. Instead, I’m hoping to see anywhere from 10 to 15 goals from him next season, similar to what Nathan Gaucher, Sasha Pastujov, Judd Caulfield, and Ben King all did in their first year in San Diego. Second, for him to get consistent time in San Diego’s top six and on the powerplay.

Sidorov’s entry-level contract will begin this year, and he’ll be a restricted free agent when it’s over. The Ducks have built a nice collection of youth with a high degree of skill in Anaheim, and Sidorov will hopefully fit right in. If his scoring touch can translate to the AHL and then to the NHL, there’s little doubt in my mind that he’ll be re-signed in three years. However, if his offensive game struggles, I could see the Ducks letting him leave as a free agent, unless he substantially improves his overall game.

The next prospect update will be on defenseman Noah Warren.

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September 13th, 2024