A lot of prospects watch their stock tumble in the run-up to the NHL draft. Their weaknesses are exposed. They are outplayed by others in the chase for top slots. Sometimes circumstances conspire against them, and they are dragged down by injuries, bad teams and bad rumors. You have to feel sorry for them.
And then there's Kirill Kabanov.
The Russian was last seen with the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League -- before he quit -- and he is likely to surface next in Minsk for the World Under-18 Championship.
To see where scouts have pegged Kabanov's draft stock and read all about his crash-and-burn tale, you must be an ESPN Insider.
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NHL Draft Blog
Your home for in-depth reports on the NHL draft and its top prospects.
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Grant Sonier
Grant Sonier has scouted for six NHL organizations over the past 13 years, most recently for the Atlanta Thrashers during the 2010-11 season. He is a special contributor to ESPN Insider.
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Victoria Matiash
Victoria Matiash has served as a Fantasy Hockey columnist for ESPN.com since 2007, and contributor to NHL Rumor Central since 2010. She lives in Toronto.
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