Four years after being drafted by the Lightning in the seventh round, Russian defenseman Daniil Pylenkov is ready to come to North America and hopes to land his entry-level contract with Tampa this offseason, he told RG’s Daria Tuboltseva.
The 24-year-old lefty said he’s already had dialogue with Bolts GM Julien BriseBois, but a deal isn’t imminent yet. “He said they’re waiting for me. Nothing specific yet, but we’re in contact,” Pylenkov told Tuboltseva.
Pylenkov was the first of three seventh-round selections BriseBois’ Lightning made in 2021. He’d been passed over twice already – his late September 2000 birthday means he was first eligible for the 2019 draft. But by the time 2021 had rolled around, Pylenkov had two full professional seasons under his belt with the KHL’s Vityaz Podolsk and was coming off a five-goal, 19-point performance for them in 54 games.
The 6’1″, 196-lb rearguard has bounced around the KHL since being drafted, spending time with SKA St. Petersburg, Severstal Cherepovets, and Dynamo Moscow. The latter club is where he’s spent the last two seasons and enjoyed the most success. This year was far and away the best campaign of his career, leading Dynamo defensemen in points with a 6-25–31 scoring line and a +14 rating. He added seven points in 17 postseason games as Dynamo was bounced by Gagarin Cup runners-up Traktor Chelyabinsk in the third round of the playoffs.
“I understand I’ll have to compete fiercely for a spot,” Pylenkov said. “Two years ago, Tampa had a deeper defense lineup. Now there’s an opportunity, but the adaptation will be tougher since the guys who joined last year have already gained experience. It’ll be harder for me to adjust to Tampa’s style than it was for them.”
There is an opportunity for Pylenkov to work his way into NHL games next season, though. His being a left shot doesn’t make him a cut-and-dry replacement for pending UFA righty Nick Perbix, but a strong enough training camp could help him leapfrog or at least find himself on equal footing with third-pairing lefty Emil Lilleberg.