Ryabkin started the season in Chicago but was reassigned to QMJHL Charlottetown – not only for performance reasons, but because his attitude and comportment leave a lot to be desired for a professional hockey player. He is not ready to be a pro. That is a significant red flag for a player who was once considered a potential top-five pick before character concerns contributed to a slide on draft day. Carolina bet on the upside, as they tend to do, and the talent is real – a highly skilled offensive player with a good shot, strong playmaking, and an impressive physical game for his size. His production since arriving in Charlottetown has been outstanding, but junior hockey is where he is playing for a reason. Until the character issues are addressed, the on-ice ability is secondary. A hold in dynasty leagues, but one that requires close monitoring off the ice as much as on it.

Going into the year as a potential top-five pick, Ryabkin had an “interesting” draft year. Moving around a ton in the Dynamo Moscow system, then moving from Russia to the USHL and the Muskegon Lumberjacks, and then eventually winning the USHL Championship with Muskegon while looking solid in those playoff games. With rumored red flags surrounding him and a decent fall on draft day, has there ever been a more Carolina Hurricanes-branded draft pick? The team bets on the upside of a player and hopes the kinks work themselves out. Talent-wise, he’s a highly skilled offensive player with a great shot, good playmaking, and an impressive physical game, even considering his slightly smaller stature. Skating might be a question mark, but again, they’re betting on the pure skill that Ryabkin possesses. He signed his three-year entry-level contract with Carolina on August 27, 2025. If the talent pans out, this is a top-ten to fifteen talent in the 2025 draft and a top-six forward with power play potential.

Selected 62nd overall, Ivan Ryabkin is now a member of the Carolina Hurricanes.

Final Rankings – Ryabkin’s a known quantity: the skill is there, the mentality is not.

Though it’s common for Russian prospects to have bogus ‘character issues’ attached to them, this is not the case here. Ryabkin utilized his shooting, handling, and bulldog approach to score over a point per game, but was disengaged on both sides of the puck, refused to play within the system, and was even accused of being dirty.