Limatov fits a trend Carolina has leaned into heavily – big defensemen whose skating is their standout attribute. At 6-4, his four-way mobility is impressive for his size and age, and it underpins everything else in his game. He has a good understanding of how to contribute transitionally on offense, and his defensive instincts are solid, though he can be prone to bad gaps and get outworked along the boards. Twelve goals and 30 points from the blue line in Russian junior with a plus-21 is an encouraging foundation. Most scouts had him going higher than 67th overall, and Carolina clearly agreed – he has been a roster option for KHL Moscow Dynamo this season, though he has yet to suit up at that level. A long-term dynasty stash with a higher ceiling than his draft position suggests.

One trend that the Hurricanes have loved over the past year has been big defenseman that have skating as their best attribute out of the draft. Limatov fits that trend perfectly, as the 6-4 lefty was regarded as one of the best skaters in this class. His four way mobility is impressive, both as someone of his size as well as his age. He has a good understanding of how to chip in offensively, mainly being able to help transitional offense. Combine that with a solid defensive game and you have a defenseman that probably should have been taken higher than where he was, something which most scouts predicted.

Selected 67th overall, Kurban Limatov is now a member of the Carolina Hurricanes.

Final Rankings – Kurban Limatov’s skating is remarkably fluid for his frame, allowing him to lead transitions and activate off the blue line with surprising ease. However, he’s more of a puck distributor than a true offensive threat at this stage.

While his decision-making improved throughout the season, Limatov still makes puzzling plays in his zone. He takes inefficient routes on retrievals and fails to consistently leverage his size and skating to angle off opponents, often defaulting to stick checks instead. The Russian blueliner’s work ethic and raw tools indicate top-four potential, but reaching that ceiling will require sharper defensive habits and more consistent use of his physical advantages.—