Every year, there are one or two players that free fall in the NHL Draft. There's a multitude of reasons, from declining performances to bad interviews to character concerns.
However, with Russian prospect Ivan Miroshnichenko, it's his health. The forward was once regarded as a potential top-10 candidate for the 2022 NHL Draft. Now, it's not a certainty he'll be taken on Day 1.
It was announced in March that Miroshnichenko was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. The good news was that Miroshnichenko was told his diagnosis was the most common form of the disease and it was curable.
As a result of the diagnosis, his draft stock began to decline, through no fault of his own. TSN's Bob McKenzie had Miroshnichenko at No. 6 in his midseason draft rankings in January. However, in his final rankings ahead of the draft, McKenzie had slid Miroshnichenko all the way to No. 19.
Miroshnichenko was Russia’s captain at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup last summer and was playing for Omskie Krylia in Russia's VHL, the top junior hockey league in the country. He had 10 goals and 16 points in 31 games before his season was cut short.
How much will this affect Miroshnichenko on draft day will be determined in just a few hours.
What is Miroshnichenko's health concern?
Miroshnichenko was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in March of 2020. At the time of his diagnosis, he was told that he had the most common form of the disease and that it was curable.
He received his treatment in Germany, according to the Russian Hockey Federation.
Hodgkin's Lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system. According to the Mayo Clinic, "white blood cells called lymphocytes grow out of control, causing swollen lymph nodes and growths throughout the body."
Will Miroshnichenko play next season?
Miroshnichenko's immediate future was up in the air when the first news came about of his health concerns. At the time, it was unclear whether he would play next season.
However, since then, he has been cleared to resume practicing and anticipates a full return next season, according to Dan Marr, the NHL director of Central Scouting.
Where is Miroshnichenko projected to be drafted?
In The Sporting News' final mock draft ahead of Thursday, I had Miroshnichenko going No. 32 to the Coyotes. It's understandable why teams with just one pick in the first round may steer clear of the Russian forward, but a team like the Coyotes, who hold multiple first-round picks, can afford to take a gamble by drafting Miroshnichenko, especially since they also have an early second-round pick.
Other potential late first-round candidates to take Miroshnichenko are the Canadiens, Sabres, and Jets. Montreal owns the No. 1 and No. 26 picks. Buffalo has three first-round picks, including No. 28. Winnipeg has two picks on Day 1, which include No. 30.
The other thing to consider is that there is some concerns about drafting any Russian prospect. There are increasing worries among NHL clubs that Russia will not allow their players to come over to North America.
We are beginning to see it with some players like the Flyers' Ivan Fedotov and the Wild's Kirill Kaprizov, who are wanted by the Russian government. This could cause NHL teams to steer clear of taking Russian prospects in order to avoid these obstacles.
