Will The Canadiens Pick Another Russian With Their 1st Pick In The 2026 NHL Entry Draft?
It is officially Draft Day, and while it was rumoured early on that the Montreal Canadiens were looking to move their 1st round pick in this year’s draft, it is now seeming more and more likely that they will step up to the podium and pick at #28 tonight. Over the past two drafts, the Canadiens used their first-round picks on skilled Russian forwards (Ivan Demidov, 5th in 2024, and Alexander Zharovsky, 34th in 2025). Again, this year there should be some talented Russians available to the Canadiens when they step up to the podium. With that being said, could we see the Habs opt for a Russian again with their first pick for the 3rd year in a row?
My 10+4 #GoHabsGo Targets for 28th & 61st Overall:
– At 28th Overall
1.🇨🇦 L. Ruck (F) **
2.🇸🇪 E. Hermansson (F) **
3. 🇫🇮 Juho Piiparinen (D) ⭐️
4.🇫🇮 O. Suvanto (F) **
5.🇷🇺 I. Morozov (F)
6.🇱🇹 S. Ignatavicius (F)
7.🇰🇿 M. Sokolovskii (D)
8. 🇷🇺 G. Pugachyov (F)
9. 🇺🇸… pic.twitter.com/8t8zJuOnu6— P. Laflamme (@Polaflamme1) June 23, 2026
There are two Russians who have made their way to North America already as well as a player born in Kazakhstan who is developing in Russia that could be on the Habs’ radar for pick #28 tonight. Any of these three forwards could be good fits within the Canadiens prospect pool. Here are the three Russian prospects starting with the most intriguing one in Ilia Morozov.
Ilia Morozov, C, Miami University (Ohio)
So….Ilia Morozov will be a Habs pick!
— Richard Mousseau (@RichMous) June 26, 2026
Centre Ilia Morozov played his draft year at Miami University (Ohio) as one of the youngest players in the NCAA this past season, where the Russian showed that he can be a talented two-way player in the NHL someday. He finished his freshman season with 8 goals and 20 points in 36 games, which is solid but nothing to write home about. Although he was the youngest player in the NCAA this past season, as he turns 18 on August 3rd, putting him on the younger side of this year’s draft. This means there is still a lot more room for him to grow while playing with players over 7 years older than him in some cases. Morozov is currently ranked as the 21st best prospect in this year’s draft according to Elite Prospects, but there is still a chance he drops a little to the Habs at the 28th overall pick.
If the Habs were to draft Morozov, they would get a player who can bring a little bit of everything, including his size at 6’3″ and 201 lbs. He is currently seen as one of the most mature two-way players in this year’s draft and may be one of the more NHL-ready prospects. However, he could drop a bit if a team feels his offensive game isn’t as strong as that of other prospects in the draft. As a result, the Canadiens have a legitimate chance to draft him at 28.
The McKeen’s 2026 NHL Draft Scouting Report 🏒📊
In this feature, Ilia Morozov (Miami (Ohio) University) gets the full breakdown from Mark Dubreuil, including skating, shot, and what to watch as draft season continues 👀
Read the full report at McKeen’s Hockey… pic.twitter.com/fWPtqBgEk0
— McKeen’s Hockey (@mckeenshockey) June 26, 2026
Despite not being the best offensive player that the Canadiens likely could get at the 28th overall selection, he does provide the Habs with the safe option of becoming an NHLer one day. The only thing is will the Canadiens look to get more skill or go for a guy that may have limited top-6 upside but has a high floor?
That’s not to say Morozov can’t become a top 6 centre, but he’s a lot more likely to become a 3rd line centre. However, at pick 28, that could be a very good pick for the Canadiens to make. The likelihood that Morozov is available to the Canadiens is probably lower than the other two Russians, but if he is there, they should absolutely be excited to get a nearly NHL-ready prospect. However, my colleague Jimmy Murphy has a source that speculates that the Canadiens could be moving up in the draft to get their hands on Morozov if none of their other plans for tonight come to fruition. Therefore, keep an eye out for a trade tonight from the Habs.
Nikita Klepov, RW, Saginaw Spirit
What a year 🦅
Nikita Klepov’s first season with @SpiritHockey couldn’t have gone much better, finishing as the league’s top point producer.#NHLDraft | @CHLHockey pic.twitter.com/qB1LKtXowR
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) June 25, 2026
While Morozov is a responsible two-way centre who doesn’t add anything flashy to his game, Saginaw Spirit winger Nikita Klepov is a dynamic offensive player. The Russian forward scored 37 goals and 97 points in 67 games as he led the OHL in points this past season. Next year, Klepov is committed to playing at Michigan State, where he will be able to test his skills against harder and more experienced competition than he had in his one year in the OHL. He is currently ranked as the 20th best prospect in this year’s entry draft, but due to the Russian factor that some teams still believe in, he could be available for the Canadiens at pick #28. It should be noted that his ranking moved up recently and was closer to 28th in the rankings before the NHL combine.
While he is a dynamic offensive player who can be a flashy playmaker at times, Klepov is no slouch defensively, as he is able to be responsible while putting up big numbers in the OHL. Klepov can also be physical when he needs to be, which only makes him a more intriguing prospect. If he’s available and the Canadiens want to add more offensive skill to their prospect pool, then he may be one of the best overall players for them to take given their recent history in drafting Russian players.
If Nikita Klepov falls 👀
— Aaron Itovitch (@itovitch) June 26, 2026
It will be interesting to see how the Russian factor plays in his draft position tonight; it wouldn’t be surprising that teams are still scared of drafting him due to where he’s from. The fact that he played in North America would have nothing to do with that anymore, especially since there has been a long history of Russian-born prospects having success in the CHL but not being able to deliver at the next level. Nonetheless, he would be a great pick to try to get talent late in the first round.
Gleb Pugachyov, RW, Nizhny Novgorod-MHL
The Case for Gleb Pugachyov in the Top 20
Gleb Pugachyov is one of the more underrated players in this draft. He comes in at No. 19 on my board, considerably higher than the consensus.
These rankings are intentionally playoff-centric, placing greater weight on the traits I… pic.twitter.com/8xZDkBv6lo
— PM’s @NHLDraftRanking™⚡️ (@NHLDraftRanking) June 25, 2026
While both Morozov and Klepov are projected to go in the late teens or early 20s in this year’s draft, the 3rd potential Russian that the Canadiens may have interest in is seen more as an early 2nd-round pick. Right winger Gleb Pugachyov is ranked as the 42nd best prospect in this year’s draft, as the Kazakhstan-born Russian seems like a sleeper pick that could be of value for the Canadiens. It should be noted that Zharovsky was also seen as an early-2nd round talent by most scouting outlets, and it turns out that the Habs found a steal by drafting him 34th overall after an amazing rookie season in the KHL with Salavat UFA. With that being said, Pugachyov has the potential to be another sleeper from Russia with all that he brings to the table.
Pugachyov, standing 6’3″ and 225 lbs, is a big player who uses his size to deliver big hits and shows the potential of being a solid middle-6 winger who could thrive come playoff time. He plays a prototypical power forward game but can also deliver on the scoresheet. He may not be as purely skilled as someone like Zharovsky, but this Russian winger can also shoot the puck, as he scored 10 goals and 24 points in 33 MHL games. He also managed to score 2 goals in 13 KHL games as a 17-year-old as he utilized his big, bruising game to play well in arguably the 2nd-best league in the world.
FILM ROOM: Gleb Pugachyov 🇷🇺
Headlined by a two-and-a-half minute long video of him being incredibly violent, Pugachyov is a mean, tenacious winger with the style of play that has NHL scouts hooked!
Read it on @eliteprospects:https://t.co/VWRzx3l5o6
— dylan griffing (@GriffingDylan) May 8, 2026
The other two Russian prospects have a decent chance of being drafted before the Canadiens have a chance to pick tonight, but Pugachyov will likely be available, and if the Habs want to put their trust in a Russian prospect once again, then he could be an interesting pick.
At the end of the day, the Canadiens could still trade the pick or go with a non-Russian prospect (more likely), but it can’t be denied that there are some interesting prospects from Russia that the Habs could easily draft 28th overall tonight.
Would you be happy to see any of these three Russian prospects drafted by the Canadiens tonight?
