Saginaw Spirit captain Dima Zhilkin files 2027 NHL Draft diary, discusses switch to center and CHL USA Hockey Prospects Challenge

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

Dima Zhilkin of the Ontario Hockey League’s Saginaw Spirit has filed his second 2027 NHL Draft diary for NHL.com, setting out what he says was a month of adjustment, process work, and new responsibilities as he continues to prepare for the 2027 NHL Draft. The 18-year-old right wing, listed at 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds, was born in Moscow, Russia, and is described in the diary as a projected first-round pick for the 2027 Draft. NHL.com also reports that Zhilkin is tied for the team lead with 30 points in 20 games, including 15 goals and 15 assists, as of the information provided with the diary.

The diary notes that a major focus for Zhilkin in October was a positional change to playing center. He says the adjustment is significant because he did not play center “growing up,” contrasting his background with that of his brother, who played centerman. In the diary, Zhilkin links the role change to an expanded defensive workload and the need to become comfortable taking faceoffs, identifying those areas as key priorities during the month.

NHL.com reports additional scoring context for Zhilkin’s development, pointing to a breakout 2025-26 season in which he totaled 75 points in 59 games, with 36 goals and 39 assists. In the diary entry, Zhilkin frames his goal for the current season as continuing to become a more complete player while maintaining effort each night and emphasizing details he believes can separate him from other players.

As the 27th captain in Saginaw Spirit team history, Zhilkin says leadership in his view is tied to day-to-day consistency and discipline rather than moment-to-moment fluctuations. The diary also describes a communication emphasis, with Zhilkin writing that captaining involves keeping positive during difficult stretches, maintaining the right energy at the rink, and listening to teammates and people around him while continuing to learn.

The entry also identifies Levi Harper as a key part of Saginaw’s group and ties him to the same CHL showcase dates. NHL.com reports that Harper will play for the Canadian Hockey League in the CHL USA Hockey Prospects Challenge in Chicoutimi on Dec. 1 and Quebec City on Dec. 2. In Zhilkin’s diary, he describes Harper as an effective defenseman whose playmaking starts with intelligence on the puck and calmness, adding that having a capable player on the backend helps the forwards create opportunities.

Beyond on-ice performance, Zhilkin’s diary includes details about team bonding and routines away from games in Saginaw. He writes that the group has spent time at Curveball Collectibles and describes shared interests in collecting trading cards ranging from Pokémon to hockey, football, and vintage baseball. The diary also mentions card games during bus rides and other time away from the rink as a way, in Zhilkin’s words, to bring the group closer outside of hockey.

The CHL USA Hockey Prospects Challenge is scheduled for Dec. 1 and Dec. 2 in two locations: Chicoutimi and Quebec City, respectively. With Zhilkin and Harper identified in the NHL.com diary as participants for the Canadian Hockey League, the event represents an additional setting for players from across the Canadian junior ranks as they continue their push toward the 2027 Draft.

NHL.com frames the diary as part of its 2027 NHL Draft diary series, which follows prospects through the season toward the 2027 NHL Draft. Zhilkin’s update ends by looking ahead to November, after describing October as another month of learning and improvement and reiterating his focus on consistency and adapting to his center role.