The Philadelphia Flyers have put pen to paper with a 2024 sixth-round pick. Elusive winger Ilya Pautov has signed a three-year, entry-level contract after playing through his first season in Russia’s pro ranks. Pautov joins Jack Berglund, Spencer Gill, Jett Luchanko, and Noah Powell as the members of Philadelphia’s 2024 class to sign their first NHL contracts.
Pautov, 20, rotated between Russia’s minor-pro league, the VHL, and their junior league, the MHL, for much of the season. He continued his trend of routine scoring in the MHL, marked by 23 points in 30 games across the full season, but struggled to bring that production ot the pro flight. Averaging bottom-six minutes throughout the season, Pautov managed just five points in 25 VHL games.
Luckily, his days as a junior scorer extend beyond this season. Pautov posted 45 points in each of the last two seasons, through 46 and 52 games respectively. He is a standout play-driver who turns the jets on after receiving a breakout pass and often finds his points on the fast-break. Pautov has struggled to stay active when play slows down on either end, though his lightning-quick hands and strong lateral skating give him the upper-hand in one-on-one situations.
A move to North America will mark a chance for Pautov to rediscover his scoring spark somewhere else. More importantly, it will mark a chance for the 5-foot-10 winger to build out his 165-pound frame with some pro muscle. A bit more size, and oomph, would go far in transforming Pautov from a nimble stickhandler into a true driver who can serve as the motor of a pro offense. That will be the role Philadelphia hopes to see as Pautov heads for a bottom-six role in the AHL, or potentially a brief tenure in the ECHL, as he faces the uphill jump of moving from the Russian minor-league to the North American circuit.