Penguins A to Z (and back to I): A late-round draft pick on Mikhail Ilyin appears to pay off

With the Pittsburgh Penguins entering the offseason for a third consecutive year without a playoff appearance, TribLive will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 58 individuals signed to an NHL contract — including those whose deals do not begin until future seasons — with the organization.

Starting with Noel Acciari and going on through to Philip Tomasino (regrettably, there is no Z on the payroll), every player will be profiled in alphabetical order.

This series is scheduled to be published Mondays through Saturdays leading up until June 26, a day before the start of the NHL Draft. In the event of a transaction, that schedule will be altered as necessary.

(Note: All contract information courtesy of Puckpedia.)

Mikhail Ilyin

Position: Right winger

Shoots: Left

Age: 20

Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 191 pounds

2024-25 KHL regular season statistics: 64 games, 30 points (seven goals, 23 assists), 15:03 of average ice time per contest

2024-25 KHL postseason statistics: Five games, one point (zero goals, one assist), 15:18 of average ice time per contest

2024-25 MHL statistics: Four games, four points (zero goals, four assists)

Contract: Entering the first year of a three-year entry-level contract with a salary cap hit of $851,667. Pending restricted free agent in 2028.

(Ilyin does not require waivers for an assignment to a minor league affiliate.)

Acquired: Fifth-round draft pick (No. 142 overall), June 29, 2023

This past season: For the third consecutive year, Mikhail Ilyin started a season in Russia’s top league, the Kontinental Hockey League, skating for his hometown team, Severstal Cherepovets.

Opening as the left wing on the second line in the season opener, Ilyin was promoted to the top line by the second game and largely maintained that station throughout the remainder of the season.

After being held without a point in his first three games, Ilyin managed to collect eight assists in eight games between Sept. 12 and 27.

BEST ASSIST OF THE SEASON — #99 MIKHAIL ILYIN pic.twitter.com/ui0ctiSipL

— KHL (@khl_eng) September 14, 2024

Ilyin’s production was streaky throughout the season. After a seven-game pointless streak, he pieced together a three-game scoring streak, including his first goal of the season in a 7-2 home win against Kunlun Red Star on Nov. 1. That score came only seven seconds into regulation.

7⃣ seconds in! Mikhail Ilyin scored the fastest goal of the season! pic.twitter.com/Es23fvkn66

— KHL (@khl_eng) November 1, 2024

After a brief two-game assignment in mid-December to Almaz Cherepovets of Russia’s top junior league, the MHL (Molodezhnaya Hokkeinaya Liga), Ilyin remained in the KHL for the remainder of the season.

In the final 32 games of the regular season, Ilyin posted 16 points (four goals, 12 assists).

Overall, Ilyin’s 30 points during what was considered his 19-year-old season (he turned 20 on Feb. 15) made him one of just eight players in KHL history to reach the 30-point barrier in a single season as a teenager.

"You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don't take", said the #99, and Severstal's #99 Mikhail Ilyin just followed the wisdom and... scored a game-winner! pic.twitter.com/BJwiIpKD2E

— KHL (@khl_eng) December 1, 2024

During the postseason, Ilyin was limited to a single assist as Severstal Cherepovets was eliminated in five games (of a best-of-seven series) by Spartak Moscow in the opening round of the Gagarin Cup playoffs.

On May 31, Ilyin signed his entry-level contract with the Penguins.

The future: Signing Ilyin was something of a surprise, mainly because of the uncertain nature of drafting and signing Russians due to the geopolitical concerns with that country.

But it was definitely a positive addition given his productive 2024-25 season skating against grown men in the KHL.

To be certain, Ilyin is a long-term project. He’ll be making the jump to a different continent and making a considerable adjustment to a smaller ice surface as well as with a different culture, presumably with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.

The Penguins will be adding a skilled playmaker to their mix. More apt at creating goals than scoring them, Ilyin uses his size effectively to shield pucks from defenders to give teammates opportunities to get to scoring areas. And while he isn’t an overly physical entity, he isn’t afraid to go to high-traffic areas, offensively or defensively.

It should be noted that while Ilyin was almost exclusively deployed as a left winger this past season, the Penguins viewed him as a center when they drafted him.

Where he ultimately fits in will take some time to determine. But using a late-round draft pick on Ilyin appears to be paying off for the Penguins.