2026 Canadiens Top 25 Under 25: #17 Bogdan Konyushkov

Introduction

The biggest change for Bogdan Konyushkov in the past 12 months happened this summer. Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod terminated the extension he had signed last year to allow the Montreal Canadiens to sign him to his entry-level contract. Montreal immediately loaned him back to Torpedo, for which he will play the full upcoming season in the KHL, but he will be able to join the Canadiens for a playoff push and potentially post-season games come April or May.

This will give the Canadiens a few more games and time to evaluate a prospect who has been developing out of the spotlight over the last few seasons into a high-level player. The question that remains is: will he be able to maintain that form when he arrives on the North American shores?

The 2025-26 season as a whole was a step in the right direction for him. He was more involved on the offensive side of the puck and it resulted in his best season by far with 38 points (7G, 31A), setting personal bests in goals, assists, points, and points per game with a little less ice time than his most-used season. The points mostly came at five-on-five as his power-play duties were lessened. He started to use his shot a lot more and that led to more assists, partly by making it harder for defenders to read his intentions.

While the season came to an abrupt end in the quarter-finals against Metallurg Magnitogorsk, a 4-1 series loss, Konyushkov was used hard, especially when trailing in games. The coaches bet on a slight offensive output, and even though Konyushkov was a +3 in the final game, it wasn’t enough to keep the season alive.

Voting

Votes ranging from 17 to 24 gave him an average just shy of 19. The community, and Packeryammy, had him at his landing spot of 17. Konyushkov is in a plateau with Owen Protz and Vinzenz Rohrer, separated by 1.5 points whereas the next player in the countdown is over a full rank ahead.

While most members of the community had him on a distribution around 17th place, there’s also a smaller peak around 23rd from a subsection of people who don’t have him in this current tier of prospects, though there is a clear cutoff to suggest he’s deserving of a spot in the Top 25.

Top 25 Under 25 History

This is Konyushkov’s highest ranking so far, in his third year in a row being on the official list, with one year of eligibility remaining. His jump up the rankings is a combination players aging out and another successful season in the KHL. Signing his entry-level deal no doubt played a big part as well, something that makes his future within the organization more clear.

History of #17

Strengths

Konyushkov’s biggest contribution is his defensive game. His positioning, vision, and hockey IQ are all good and provide him with a clear path for an NHL career that will most likely come quicker than many expected. He should be an effective penalty-killer, even if those minutes have been few in the KHL. However, his game lends itself to that duty, and the Canadiens would be remiss if they haven’t asked Torpedo to play him more there this season.

Montreal’s front office doesn’t only speak about character and leadership, the players are chosen for it. Konyushkov is the one that stands out for Torpedo in handling the press even if he is an alternate captain. His leadership is quiet, intellectual, and based on his play rather than the more brash display of some players who wear a C, so he should fit in well with the Canadiens’ younger squad. In order to achieve this dream, he is preparing himself rigorously and taking English classes every day to come to Montreal and make an impression.

Weaknesses

His skating improved in 2025-26, but it’s still not to the point where you could rate it as even average for an NHLer. NHL rinks are smaller and don’t require a defenceman to cover as much ground, which might save him there, but he can still get beat in one-on-one situations versus faster players, and be unable to recover in counter-attacks.

That limited mobility might force him to abandon the offensive progress he’s made especially last season in order to maintain strong defensive positioning. It would be a shame for him to lose that element, and that could end up being something that costs him a chance for an impact role in the NHL.

Projection

The 23-year-old Russian will have to battle a number of prospects to claim a roster spot. There is no doubt that he is an NHL player, but the competition in Montreal is fierce. His defensive game should make him easy to insert into the bottom pairing, but every other player in the battle has at least one aspect working in their favour.

The main thing to pay attention to when he is ready to join the battle for an NHL position is how his skating holds up. Quick counter-attacks are an Achilles heel for the Russian, and at the end of the season when the game hits a new level, the adjustment to a higher pace could be a real challenge.

One has to like that he is betting on himself, and Montreal will now have a few more opportunities at the end of this season to see what they have in him rather than just use next summer’s camp as the sole evaluation of his readiness.