Montreal Canadiens: Interest in Russian Winger Artur Tyanulin

There were rumours that the Montreal Canadiens were interested in signing former Ottawa 67’s winger Artur Tyanulin, and it may still be a possibility.

The NHL Draft is difficult to predict once you get to the later rounds. Although a player may look like an attractive piece to an organization, they still be passed on by every team multiple times. A lot of people find themselves thinking, “How did this guy not get drafted”, when they watch a player do remarkable things. An example of this is actually a player linked to the Montreal Canadiens in Artur Tyanulin.

You can understand why Tyanulin was passed on the draft the previous two times. He went a point-per-game with Ibris Kazan of the MHL in the 2014-2015 season and scored 6 points in 13 games with Ottawa.

He played in his first full OHL season the year after finishing with 52 points in 67 games. Tyanulin finished his final season with the 67’s scoring 24 goals and 85 assists.

Offence is obviously not a problem with the 20-year-old. His skill, creativity, and ability to generate scoring chances is a valuable asset. The defensive aspect of his game is what needs the most work. Not only does he miss assignments a lot, but he’s not very eager to backcheck. Additionally, he has a tendency to hold on to the puck a little too much which sometimes leads to turnovers.

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Linking Tyanulin to the Montreal Canadiens

So what does this highly skilled Russian winger have to do with the Habs? I’m glad you asked dedicated reader. Apparently Montreal was one of two teams interested in acquiring Tyanulin’s talents.

However things obviously have not panned out in Montreal’s favour. Tyanulin is currently on a professional tryout with Ak Bars Kazan of the KHL. Yes, the same Ak Bars Kazan that former Canadiens defenceman Andrei Markov is playing for.

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It is just a tryout, so it isn’t a guarantee that he is given an opportunity to stay. Ottawa 67’s play-by-play voice Kenneth Walls tweeted a few days ago that he was hearing the young winger will be playing in North America this season.

Everything seems to be pretty fuzzy at the moment, but if the KHL doesn’t work out for Tyanulin, the Montreal Canadiens will definitely still have that offer ready. At the very least, he is signed to a pro-tryout and is given the chance to impress management at training camp. The main club is virtually full on the wings, but there may still be room on the Laval Rocket.

This isn’t the first time the Habs have been linked to a player earlier, who they’ve eventually brought on. Eric Gelinas just signed a PTO with Montreal not too long ago, but he was actually linked to the team in the past.

It’ll just be another waiting game when it comes to Tyanulin. However, Montreal Canadiens fans would definitely enjoy seeing him pull off his moves with the organization in some fashion.

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Do you think the Habs should pursue Tyanulin? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!