Montreal Canadiens sign Bogdan Konyushkov to entry-level contract

The Montreal Canadiens used a creative contract maneuver to get one of their young prospects into the fold as a reinforcement at the end of the season on Friday, signing defender Bogdan Konuyshkov to his two-year entry level contract.

The 23-year old will be loaned back to his KHL team Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod for the upcoming season during the first year of his entry-level contract. The reason for doing this is clear, and that is when the KHL season ends, he will be eligible to play the rest of the season in North America.

Konyushkov had a multi-year extension in the KHL, but they terminated his deal to allow him to sign this contract, obviously with the agreement that he will be sent back. Last year, his season ended on April 17.

The 6’0″, 172lb right-shot defender is yet another right-handed shot added to the roster this season. He was drafted in the fourth round (#110 overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft. He had seven goals and 31 assists in 67 games last year in the KHL, adding five assists in 10 playoff games.

He has played 263 career KHL regular season games, with 18 goals and 90 assists bringing a lot of experience to North America with him. He provides the Laval Rocket with a lot of depth late in the season, giving the organization a chance to look at him late in the year.