The Penguins turned to Russia for their last pick of the draft on Saturday.
The Penguins selected forward Kirill Tankov out of SKA Varyagi from the Russian junior league MHL with the 218th selection in the draft.
Tankov, at 19, was in his second year of draft eligibility. He's 6-foot-1 and 181 pounds, a left-handed shot, and capable of playing both center and wing.
Tankov led SKA Varyagi in goals (18) and points (43) last season in 52 games.
Earlier this month the Penguins announced the hiring of Alexander Khavanov as a European amateur scout with the role of scouting draft-eligible prospects and free agents in Russia. Penguins director of player personnel Chris Pryor said Saturday that Khavanov had scouted Tankov.
"(Khavanov) has got a little feel for for Kirill," Pryor said. "He's in St. Petersburg, he's a good size winger, he can play center. He's got a good skillset, kind of long and lean. And as with the college kids, it's kind of conducive for for Kirill here, we can just leave them there and let them develop. There's no rush, just patience. We have a good eye over there with Alexander. I think there's a lot of promise there, a lot of upside for Kirill."
From watching the highlight videos of Tankov on Youtube, the skill he brings is incredibly evident:
Кирилл Танков из @SKA_Varyagi врубил первую космическую скорость, пролетел мимо защитников и одной рукой разобрался с голкипером 🔥 pic.twitter.com/1zIlh7fmly
— Молодежная Хоккейная Лига (@MHL_rus) February 18, 2020
In an interview with the SKA Varyagi team website, Tankov said that he "has always believed that the best defense is offense."
