Bogdan Konyushkov’s big minutes in KHL should breed hope

The Montreal Canadiens prospect pool is going to give fans plenty to see from a defensive standpoint this season. 

But there is one player who still has contractual obligations overseas in Russia. Bogdan Konyushkov is captaining his KHL squad as a 21-year-old and doing it with veteran-like poise. Given that his contract carries over until the end of the 2025-26 season.

Surely, if Konyushkov and Kent Hughes feel he would be best suited playing in Laval to adapt to the smaller ice, that might be something to seriously consider. There is no direct correlation to NHL success after strong play in the KHL. But there has to be something said about the character required to be the captain of one of the best professional league’s in the world as a 21-year-old. 

Konyushkov, while there have been limited viewings of his play, has been a pleasant surprise. Nobody expected, let alone knew anything about him when Hughes took a flier on the over-age defender in the fourth round of the ‘22 draft. But his statistics speak for themselves and his three-year contract extension after being drafted cements the character that the young defender has. 

Offensively he has shown a bit of a killer instinct, not shying away from firing the puck on net. His release is hard and accurate and he uses his great lateral mobility to get into optimal high-danger scoring areas. Like many players who come over from Europe, Konyushkov will need some time to work on gap control and using his stick to defend will be helpful. 

If offence isn’t his calling card, Konyushkov should be fine

It’s hard to gauge how exactly Konyushkov will be viewed in the depth chart upon his arrival. There are many variables and with two seasons to play, he has plenty of time to further assert himself amongst Russia’s best non-NHLers. Whether that means he turns into a point producer or not is yet to be seen, but I think he has the chops to carve out an NHL role regardless of his offensive production.

After scoring 25 points during the 2022-23 season, which was quite impressive for a 20-year-old defensemen, Konyushkov was just getting started. This past season, he scored 28 points and averaged just over 23 minutes a game. So, what’s next? It feels like a safe bet to assume he will improve his production and continue to be relied upon to do the heavy lifting for Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod blueline.

All that experience is sure to shape him into a player that can be relied upon in high-pressure moments. It feels more likely than not, given his high character and ability to thrive under pressure that he will be playing in Laval as soon as he feels ready. The fact that he is a right-shot defender also plays into his favour, since the prospect group is very left-shot heavy.

There is no rush for him to play in North America, at least it doesn’t appear that way. But I would have to believe that once able, Hughes would love to add him into the fold.