Top 20 Canadiens Prospects: Konyushkov Experience Enhances Potential
We’ve reached the No.12 player in our annual Montreal Canadiens prospect ranks, as voted on by Habs fans: defenceman Bogdan Konyushkov.
He may not be the most well-known Russian prospect in the system, but his impressive professional experience will give him an inside track on the competition once he’s ready to make his way to North America.
Konyushkov made his KHL debut in 2022-23, and has since accumulated over 260 games of experience while playing for Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, where he has served as the alternate captain, as well as the captain in 2023-24. Disgraced NHLer Vyacheslav Voynov was given the captaincy in 2024-25, but the fact remains that Konyushkov has been tasked with absorbing a heavy dose of minutes in a professional league at a very young age, while being tapped for leadership duties for long stretches.
Previously published Montreal Canadiens top 20 rankings
No. 12 – Bogdan Konyushkov – 23 – Defenceman – Shoots Right – 6’0″ – 175lb – Torpedo (KHL) – Drafted 110th Overall 2023
The first thing that stands out when watching Konyushkov is his confidence, which he uses to exploit scoring opportunities in the offensive zone. From the very get-go, Konyushkov was playing with the confidence of a 10-year veteran, while having fewer than 10 games of experience under his belt.
Fresh off a season in which he scored seven goals and 31 assists in 67 games, Konyushkov established career highs in goals, assists, and points, a testament to his improved scoring rate. It was an important step, as he had suffered a down tick in production the previous year, when he only managed to score three goals and 14 assists.
Prospect development is rarely linear, except for truly elite players. Therefore, we can fairly suggest that Konyushkov may have gone through a few peaks and valleys, but he’s surging at the ideal time for a player who is likely to make his way to North America in the near future.
He’s a creative defenceman who likes to use his quick release to generate second-chance scoring opportunities. His skating is far from elite, but he does possess excellent vision, allowing him to carve out important ice in the offensive zone for both himself and his teammates. More often than not, Konyshkov will take a quick shot from the point, immediately following quick puck movement that’s designed to pull the goaltender out of position.
The KHL isn’t a particularly physical league, however, Konyushkov is known to drop his opponents with heavy hits, while utilizing solid gap control and stick work whenever a hit is no longer a viable option. On that note, seeing as there’s a chance hard-hitting Canadiens prospect Gleb Pugachyov could receive a promotion to the KHL in the upcoming season, Konyushkov may leave the heavy lifting to his potential teammate.
Konyushkov Projection
Seeing as Konyushkov stood out as a player who is capable of surviving very difficult assignments, the Canadiens opted to offer him a contract in July. There’s no transfer agreement in place between the KHL and NHL, which led to a rather interesting solution when it comes to Konyushkov’s future.
Torpedo and Konyushkov came to a mutual agreement to terminate the contract, allowing the Canadiens to sign him to his entry-level contact. Montreal immediately loaned Konyushkov back to Torpedo, giving him a chance to play out the 2026-27 season with his Russian team. Following the conclusion of the season, Konyushkov will then be eligible to be assigned to either the AHL, to play for the Laval Rocket, or the NHL.
There are two schools of thought when it comes to his immediate projection in North America. Some believe he will be able to jump into the NHL lineup, but that will depend heavily on the roster construction at the time, injuries, as well as Konyushkov’s form. After all, the KHL is a solid league, but playing in the NHL is a completely different animal. Konyushkov’s aggressive style works in the KHL, partly due to the available ice, but time and space are rare commodities in the NHL.
In all likelihood, the best path forward will be assigning him to the AHL, where he can work out some of the wrinkles that arise when attempting to acclimatize to a new hockey league.
We also have to keep the heavy number of defensive prospects in mind when projecting Konyushkov’s future. That’s not to say he’s miles behind players like Adam Engstrom and David Reinbacher, but they are clearly ahead of him in the depth chart. And then there are younger prospects such as Timofei Runtso, Bryce Pickford, and Owen Protz, that will be pushing for a roster spot sooner than later.
Fortunately for Bogdan Konyushkov, he will have the inside track due to his impressive accumulation of high-end experience, aggressive attitude, and overflowing confidence.
If he does reach his potential, he projects as a top-four defenceman who can serve on a second powerplay unit in the NHL.
All Montreal Canadiens prospect and Bogdan Konyushkov statistics via Elite Prospect
