The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) season has just begun, and many NHL prospects are still developing at home there, vying to win a future spot in the NHL. In this piece, only players under 23 were taken into consideration, thus leaving out more experienced players like Carolina Hurricanes’ prospect Alexander Nikishin or Winnipeg Jets’ draftee Dmitri Rashevsky. Here’s a look at the top 10prospects to watch this season.
10. Dmitri Simashev (D, Utah Hockey Club)
The 2023 6th-overall pick had a strong 2023-24 campaign with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. He reached the Gagarin Cup finals and enjoyed significant ice time, also in the playoffs, where he lined up for 17 games. This experience will certainly help him this season, as Lokomotiv seeks another trip to the league final and he looks for an even bigger role.
It won’t be easy. It’s notoriously difficult for a 19-year-old to break a contending team’s lineup in the KHL, but a couple of injuries in Lokomotiv’s defensive lineup will give Simashev a good chance at the start, and if he gets the ball rolling, it’s unlikely the coaching staff will remove him. Simashev’s entry-level deal with Lokomotiv runs out in May.
9. Bogdan Konyushkov (D, Montreal Canadiens)
Unlike Simashev, Konyushkov plays for a team whose philosophy is based on developing young players – the blueliner will be captaining Igor Larionov’s Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. The 2023 fourth-rounder had a tremendous 2023-2024 campaign with Torpedo, averaging a whopping 26:30 minutes of ice time during the Gagarin Cup playoffs, which were cut short for Nizhny Novgorod as they suffered a first-round exit.
In the regular season, Konyushkov was a force, with 28 points (six goals and 22 assists) in 65 games, just one point shy of the top ten in league scoring from the blue line. Expect Konyushkov to reach similar heights this season, if not even higher.
8. Mikhail Gulyayev (D, Colorado Avalanche)
The 2023 first-rounder made solid progress last season, regularly sliding into Avangard Omsk’s lineup for his first full-time role in the KHL. Gulyayev, whose father was one of his coaches in junior, is expected to develop more this season, earning more ice time and producing more as the team takes advantage of his smooth skating and good hands.
Last season, Gulyayev had 15 points with the Hawks, scoring six goals – a solid number for a young defenseman – but at this point, he needs to step up and increase…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Hockey Writers…