How Dima Zhilkin Can Be a Top Pick in the 2027 NHL Draft

Saginaw Spirit forward Dima Zhilkin enters the 2026-27 season as one of the top players eligible for the 2027 NHL Draft. Coming off a 36-goal, 39-assist campaign across 59 contests in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), he led all draft-minus-one prospects in points.

Zhilkin, who recently committed to the University of Michigan for the 2027-28 season, will have plenty of eyes on him this fall. What are some strengths and weaknesses in his game?

Zhilkin’s Stats & Shot Tracking Data vs. Erie Otters, Oct. 24, 2025

I asked around to find Zhilkin’s best game from last season, and the one I landed on was his Oct. 24, 2025 performance against the Erie Otters. Points alone don’t tell the full story of a game, so while he’s done better in that regard, he showcased his most encouraging qualities. But he still put up a goal and an assist, both on the power play.

Below, I tracked all of the shot attempts Zhilkin was on the ice for at 5-on-5. He was outscored 1-0 (on a play that wasn’t really his fault, which you’ll see in the game footage later) and took a minor penalty, but the chances heavily favored Saginaw, who won 5-3. The visiting Otters generated two shots on goal with Zhilkin on the ice.

By my count, Zhilkin was on the ice for 27 shot attempts to Erie’s eight, giving him a Corsi share of 77.14%. Unblocked shot attempts were 15-6 for the home side, giving him a 71.43% Fenwick share. Shots were 10-2 in Saginaw’s favor, which comes out to 83.33%.

Aside from an odd-man rush that led to the goal against, the Otters didn’t generate much of anything with Zhilkin on the ice. He, on the other hand, had six shot attempts at 5-on-5—three of them on target—and set up some good looks for his teammates.

A Look at Zhilkin’s Game Tape vs. Erie

Shot data is useful, but it can only tell us so much. Here are most of Zhilkin’s puck touches from the game vs. Erie, in addition to the goal-against sequence, which starts at 3:32.

In July, Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis noted, “The mid-sized forward plays with relentless energy, making sure he’s involved physically in every single shift. He’s not afraid to play on the edge of life or death because he comes out with the puck more often than not. Zhilkin is an electric shooter, and he’s equally as good as a setup man.”

That’s more or less what I got from Zhilkin’s performance, though while many rave about the youngster’s physicality, I see him as an energetic skill type—not necessarily a player who is going to initiate contact to gain possession of the puck. (This is a one-game sample from 10 months ago, though, so I’d take the scouts’ word over mine.)

A big positive for Zhilkin in this one was his ability to handle the puck. He was very comfortable in that regard, carrying it for several seconds and looking for openings.

I thought some of his decision-making could have been better, but he A) still set up plenty of opportunities, especially relative to the Otters, and B) he had just turned 17 when this game transpired. Stagnation from now until draft day is possible but unlikely.

Zhilkin was Saginaw’s top offensive generator on a line featuring Nikita Klepov, who was selected 15^th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2026 NHL Draft. I thought Klepov was more “complete,” to be clear, but that was always the upside with him. So, suffice it to say, Zhilkin was impressive.

What I’d Like to See From Zhilkin in 2026-27

Zhilkin is set to rejoin the Spirit for the 2026-27 campaign as the team’s captain (a role he assumed in Jan. 2026). However, with top forwards Egor Barabanov and potentially Klepov both being gone, No. 71 will have even more responsibility.

My ideal season for Zhilkin is one where he, for starters, flashes his finishing ability again. He’s a 15.8% career shooter in the OHL and recorded five goals in as many games at the U18 World Championship—scoring goals seems to be a major calling card for him.

Decision-making and physical engagement are also big ones for me. The OHL is more forgiving than the leagues above it, so it’s important that Zhilkin evolves even further as a creator. Making the right decisions and being physically engaged separates the good shot generators from the elite ones.

Zhilkin ranked ninth in The Athletic‘s Scott Wheeler’s first draft ranking for the 2027 class (from ‘2027 NHL Draft ranking: Landon DuPont tops Scott Wheeler’s first top 25 list,’ The Athletic, March 31, 2026). The Saginaw forward has work to do to climb that board, but it’s certainly within his capabilities.