June 27, 2015
Dergachev was selected by the Kings with the 74th overall pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
ANALYSIS
This big boy (6-foot-4, 200 pounds) took a huge leap forward in his development this year. He impressed with Team Russia at the 2015 World Junior Championships, and while he didn't pick up any points there, he played a gritty, North American-game that caught the eyes of scouts. He was a menace along the wall, winning board battle after board battle, and finished his checks, much to the chagrin of a lot of smaller, skilled forwards. He has a hard shot, but that could be said of most physical monsters. Despite his limited offensive upside, he could be a beloved third or fourth-line grinder in today's NHL. Dergachev's ability to grind things out in the cycle will be invaluable to the Kings -- he might not get many points, but he'll exhaust the opposition, leaving them too tired to deal with the team's talented scorers. He's about four years away.
