Rinkside Roundup: Igor Chernyshov is unstoppable to start his OHL career

Another week, another group of high-end performances in the prospects world — from Spokane, Washington to Ängelholm, Sweden, some top prospects are playing the best hockey of their careers. 

Berkly Catton and Brayden Yager have been on a tear in the WHL, racking up points in very different but equally effective ways. Meanwhile, overseas, Jack Murtagh capped off a great U18 Five Nations Tournament, placing himself firmly back into first-round conversations for the 2025 NHL Draft. Speaking of American-born wingers, Sam Harris continues to grow his game in the NCAA with Denver.

However, it’s Igor Chernyshov who steals the spotlight this week — his late arrival in Saginaw has turned a great line into the best front three in the OHL. We start this Roundup off with him.

Igor Chernyshov, LW, Saginaw Spirit (San Jose Sharks) 

Season stats: 8G, 6A, 14PTS

Last Week Stats: 5G, 5A, 10PTS

With a whopping 10 points in three games this past week, Igor Chernyshov easily makes the cut as one of this week’s top performers. The San Jose Sharks’ 33rd-overall pick in 2024 was signed by the Saginaw Spirit in early August before undergoing shoulder surgery later in the month, which sidelined him until the end of January. 

All of his five games since his return have been multi-point performances — including a recent five-pointer this past Saturday.

Chernyshov has developed an instant and impactful synergy with Michael Misa and Kristian Epperson. The three exchange pucks in quick succession, work the forecheck with intensity and drive, and frequently connect through seams once they set up the cycle. Saginaw is gearing up for the playoffs, and Chernyshov joining their already talented core can only help their odds of repeating their Memorial Cup success from last year.

Berkly Catton, C/LW, Spokane Chiefs (Seattle Kraken) 

Season stats: 29G, 50A, 79PTS

Last Week Stats: 6G, 2A, 8PTS

Since Andrew Cristall joined the Spokane Chiefs, Berkly Catton has been on a tear. The Seattle Kraken first-rounder in 2024 is currently on an 11-game point streak, which he extended in gorgeous fashion with two multi-point outings over the weekend — including a four-goal, five-point performance in a 9-1 thrashing of the Seattle Thunderbirds on Saturday.

Possibly the most refined transition attacker in the WHL, Catton combines quick crossovers, backhand skill, upper-body protection and deceptive handling to continuously create through rush patterns. While the smooth-skating winger’s offensive game continues to expand — most notably, his half-wall scoring seems to have taken a leap forward — Catton’s rush game is what will truly separate him from the pack in the NHL.

Brayden Yager, C, Lethbridge Hurricanes (Winnipeg Jets) 

Season stats: 20G, 39A, 59PTS

Last Week Stats: 2G, 6A, 8PTS

On the subject of eight-point weekends highlighted by a five-point game, Brayden Yager also features among this week’s top performers. While Catton’s on-puck transition impact is making his offensive game pop, Yager’s recent run of form for Lethbridge is a result of his high-end off-puck habits and cycle offence creation, as our Dir. of North American Scouting Mitch Brown highlighted in this game report from late last week:

“In one play, he drew three defenders towards himself by curling off the half wall and showing shot -- only to slip the puck through them to the middle for a chance. Consistently spaced the ice, not to shoot one-timers, but to pass. He used the low and high wall to get open, then spotted teammates across the rink. [...] The shot remains his best tool overall, but his playmaking skills are catching up.”

Expanding his playmaking skill set even further has helped Yager become a true dual-threat scorer, and while the overall physical skills aren’t yet at a level that supports his cycle-oriented game, he could very well get there in the next few years.

Sam Harris, LW, Univ. of Denver (Montréal Canadiens) 

Season stats: 19G, 9A, 28PTS

Last Week Stats: 4G, 0A, 4PTS

Over in the NCAA, Sam Harris is truly coming out of his shell. The University of Denver sophomore was drafted as an overager by the Montréal Canadiens in the fifth round of the 2023 NHL Draft, and all he has done since is gain confidence against older competition. His first career hat-trick came in Denver’s 6-5 overtime loss to Arizona State on Saturday — a culminating point in Harris’ progression so far as a goalscoring winger.

Two of his goals came at the goal-mouth — the first was a result of Zeev Buium’s work, but the second was a crafty piece of improvisation, batting the puck between his legs with his back to the net. Finally, a curl-up to the high slot helped him snag his third of the night. Harris is unlikely to become a top-six scorer — the 5’11”, 185-pound winger still has some skating and creativity limitations that will likely get in the way of such an outcome — but the physical sturdiness, heavy release, and intelligent offensive sense he possesses offer a sound base for a future bottom-six role in the NHL.

Jack Murtagh, LW, U.S. National U18 Team (2025 NHL Draft) 

Season stats: 14G, 20A, 34PTS

Last Week Stats: 2G, 5A, 7PTS

The U18 Five Nations Tournament just wrapped up in Ängelholm this past weekend, and although it isn’t nearly as highly anticipated as the Hlinka Gretzky Cup or the U18 Worlds, the tournament still offers an interesting look at some underagers and draft-eligible talent. The Swedes brought the likes of Anton Frondell, Viggo Björck and Ivar Stenberg, and the Americans brought their current NTDP U18s squad — the highlight of which was Jack Murtagh.

The 6-foot-1, 198-pound draft-eligible winger finished the tournament with two goals and five assists in four games, showcasing more of his playmaking side despite his shooting and physicality having been the main standouts against local competition. Our Swedish scout, Jimmy Hamrin, watched him in person at the event:

“Murtagh shows a lot of pro habits already in his game. He is strong on his skates and has physical strategies to help him win and contain pucks along the boards and also separate in the next sequence. [...] he seems to recognize where the open space is and makes fast plays to open up.He definitely had some nice playmaking moments in this game, mostly from the board to the middle of the ice.”

Murtagh saw an opportunity to stand out in front of scouts on the international stage, and made the most of it — in a draft class that gets a bit blurry outside of the top 20, performances like these can see a prospect land in a team or two’s first-round range.