The Boston Bruins will look a lot different when they take the ice in October, with many changes to the coaching staff and roster. One relatively new face is Marat Khusnutdinov. The 23-year-old Russian forward was acquired in a trade deadline deal that brought him, Jakub Lauko, and a 2026 sixth-round draft pick to Boston from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Justin Brazeau.
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Despite an uninspiring start to his NHL career, Khusnutdinov was the highlight of that deal, and, hopefully, 2025-26 is the season that he starts to prove it.
Khusnutdinov’s Early NHL Struggles
Khusnutdinov was selected 37th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft by the Wild, the same round the Boston Bruins selected Mason Lohrei at 58th overall. He played his entire junior career in Russia and remained in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) after he was drafted.
Many non-North American players make the jump to North America to play in the Canadian Junior Leagues to give themselves time to adjust to the smaller ice surface before they turn pro, or they spend time in the American Hockey League (AHL), since the smaller rink size creates a more physical and faster game that takes time to get used to.
Khusnutdinov bypassed the AHL and jumped directly from the KHL to the NHL in the 2023-24 season. He was a highly anticipated prospect after several great seasons in Russia, but it was not an easy transition, and he struggled to generate offense. Whether or not it was due to the smaller ice surface, something did not click for him in Minnesota.
Khusnutdinov appeared in 16 games in 2023-24, registering one goal and four assists. In 2024-25, he played in 57 games, only registering two goals and seven points. Right before he was traded to Boston, Minnesota sent him down to play with their AHL affiliate, Iowa Wild, to try and get some momentum going for him.
Reasons to Believe in Khusnutdinov
It can take around 100 games for many NHLers to fully adjust and get comfortable in the NHL. Khusnutdinov has only appeared in 91 games, including only one full season. It’s possible that the Wild just wasn’t the right fit for Khusnutdinov, and he could easily find success elsewhere.
In 18 games for the Bruins after the deadline, Khusnutdinov showed promise. He had three goals and five points, surpassing…
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