I think I speak for the growing community of draft analysts at large when I suggest that Nikita Popugayev is a slam dunk first round pick if he finishes the season a Moose Jaw Warrior.
Unfortunately for Popugayev, and evidently his draft stock, that wasn’t in the cards. In what I would consider a surprise move for a contending side, the Warriors dealt Popugayev to the Prince George Cougars at the WHL trade deadline. At the time of the deal, Popugayev was playing on the Warriors first line and producing at over a point per game.
After the move, Popugayev’s production dipped from a gaudy 1.