The Sarnia Sting went big in the 2025 CHL Import Draft – literally. General manager Dylan Seca used the club’s second-round pick (69th overall) on 6-foot-6 Russian winger Daniil Prokhorov, who had just been selected by the New York Islanders in the second round of the NHL Draft (42nd overall).

Prokhorov, ranked 18th among European skaters by NHL Central Scouting, is already on the Isles’ radar as a high-upside prospect. Last season with MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg in the MHL, he posted 20 goals and 27 points in 43 games, showcasing a blend of size, physicality, and scoring touch that has many projecting him as a potential power forward at the NHL level. He’s also suited up for Russia’s U18 team, giving him valuable international experience.

“Daniil is an absolute beast of a player,” Seca said. “He plays a heavy game with skill and pace. If we can get him here, then it’s a grand slam. If he doesn’t come, then it was worth the risk. It’s high-end NHL talent that we’re really excited to add to our program.”

Prokhorov posted an impressive 20 goals and 27 points in 43 games for MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg in the MHL last season and has represented Russia at the U18 level—making him a high-ceiling prospect. Islanders fans got even more fired up when Prokhorov made clear he saw his NHL destiny long before his name was dropped. “They wanted to choose me at No. 43,” he said, referencing the Rangers’ pick immediately after. “But I said they won’t succeed, because the Islanders will choose me at 42.” He then impressed at the Blue and White scrimmage game and was interactive with fans.

While there’s no guarantee Prokhorov will report to the OHL (he signed a tryout agreement with KHL club Dynamo Moscow), Sarnia’s willingness to take the chance underscores how highly regarded he is and the impact they believe he can make whenever the forward comes over.

For the Islanders, Prokhorov adds to a pipeline that GM Mathieu Darche has been carefully reshaping. If he makes the jump to North America sooner rather than later, Isles fans may get an early glimpse of one of their newest power-wing prospects in Sarnia before he climbs toward the NHL.