What became of New York Rangers draft selection Mikhail Pashnin?

NHL teams hold the rights of players they draft from the KHL indefinitely. It’s a little exception to the traditional path of rights expiring after a few years. While the Rangers have a tendency to steer clear of KHL draft selections, there is one player that you will find on the Rangers reserve list that has never come across to North America and has had quite a successful career on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

That player? Mikhail Pashnin. If this stumps the most die-hard Rangers fans as to why they can remember the name but cannot put a face to it, do not worry. Pashnin has been in the KHL for the last 12 years after being drafted in the 7th round of the 2009 NHL entry draft by the Rangers, 200th overall. While that might seem like an early 7th now, it was actually the 20th pick of the 7th back when there were only 30 teams in the league.

Pashnin’s not a particularly big player, at just 6’1 190 lbs. However, he has carved out a good career for himself in Russia. The Chelyabinsk, Russia native has played in the top Russian flight for the last 12 years, that is a career to be proud of. While he’d likely be an AHL filler in North America right now, he’s playing a supporting role in the KHL and earning a decent wage to do it.

Pashnin made his KHL debut for CSKA Moscow in 2009-10. He was in the CSKA system until 2012-13. That is when he started to call Lokomotiv Yaroslavl his team. After spending 5 years with Lokomotiv, he would go back to CSKA for two years in 2017-18, where he would win the Gagarin cup with the team from Russia’s capital.

After a year at Salavat Yulaev Ufa, Pashnin signed for two years with Metallurg Magnitogorsk. This summer, the defenseman signed a two-year deal with SKA St Petersburg. That was back on May 9th, so that might have gotten lost in the Rangers’ depth playoff run. It’s unlikely that Pashnin will ever see North American ice as a player and it looks like he is comfortable in the bigger European rinks.

So, why am I talking about a 7th-round pick from 2009 that never came across to North America? Well, in 541 KHL games, Pashnin has collected18 goals and 68 assists for 86 points. He’s also collected a Gagarin cup. While it’s not exactly a long and illustrious career as a groundbreaker in Russia, that’s a solid career. I already mentioned it is very unlikely that he ever signs for the Rangers.

A lot of people label this a bust pick. It’s a 7th rounder, you’re very unlikely to get anything of consequence for them. But that is what the Rangers got here. Pashnin has had a good career. However, it’s not for them and that is the issue. If Pashnin had done in this North America, he’s a very valued commodity. Make no mistake, this is not a bad career for an “undersized” Russian defenseman.

Question for Blue Line Station readers: What do you think about the Pashnin draft pick?