The Moose Jaw Warriors went back to Russia again this year during the CHL Import Draft.

18-year-old defenceman Dmitry Zaitsev will join Nikita Popugaev in the Warriors’ lineup this fall after being selected by the Tribe with the 33rd overall pick during Tuesday’s draft.

“He’s a good player,” said general manager Alan Miller.  “He’s played in North America, so we like that experience in terms of his environment culturally, he spent a year in Wilkes-Barre in the North American Hockey League.”

The Warriors were focused on bolstering their defensive group heading into the Import Draft and they had their sights set on adding a player in the 1998 age group that would need a ton of time to adjust and develop.  

Zaitsev fits all of those requirements after playing a year in North America already and going in the seventh round of the 2016 NHL Draft to the Washington Capitals.  Millar said that the team was happy that he was available.

“I got a chance to see him in North Dakota at the World Under-18 Championships, he’s a good fit for us and we think that he can jump in and make an impact next year in terms of being a regular and not really on a development curve like a younger player might have been,” said Millar.

“We’ve got (Josh) Brook, we’ve got (Brandon) Armstrong, we’ve got Jett Woo coming in as a rookie on the backend, so a more established guy fit with what we wanted to do.”

In 53 games last season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights in the NAHL, Zaitsev had seven goals, 22 points and 74 penalty minutes.  He was named to the All-Star Division Rookie Team.

“He’s a guy that plays hard, he’s got good feet, makes smart plays, moves the puck and has a little bit of offence in his game.  We were pleased when he was still on the draft board and we think he helps our team,” said Millar.

“We liked his two-way game, we like the fact that generated some offence, but he is a physical player and he does compete hard.”

The other benefit with Zaitsev is that he shares an agent with Popugaev and should make it easier for the talented Russian forward in his second season with the Warriors.

“He grew up in the national program, the 98 group, with Nikita and we think that this helps Nikita and Dmitry in terms of their opportunity to play here together and we felt it came together fairly well for us this morning,” said Millar.

Millar doesn’t expect a very long recruiting process for Zaitsev.

“Tim (Hunter) actually had an opportunity to meet the kid at the Under-18s, he’s 100-percent committed and there will be no issues with him reporting,” said Millar.

The Warriors open training camp in late August.