Canadiens Prospect Report: Bogdan Konyushkov’s Great Start

The last time we checked in on Montreal Canadiens prospect Bogdan Konyushkov there was a certain level of excitement regarding his play for Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod.

Given that he’s only 20 years old, the mere fact that he’s playing big minutes for a KHL team is rather impressive.

His skating is silky smooth, and though his decisions aren’t always perfect, he brings an important element to the table: quick outlet passes and controlled breakouts.

KHL Update

More recently, Konyushkov was given almost 24 minutes of ice time against Vityaz, the most among any Torpedo players, a testament to how much his coach, former NHLer Igor Larionov, trusts him. Konyushkov was also used on the penalty kill, as well as the powerplay, a situation which is in his wheelhouse due to his versatility.

Larionov’s trust paid off in spades, as Konyushkov finished the game with three points, including his first goal of the season, an empty-net marker.

Some analysts tend to discount empty net goals, but in my experience, it’s a sign that you’re one of the most important players on the ice, and are trusted to play in the most crucial moments of the game.

🚨 Bogdan Konyushkov EN (1+2) #GoHabsGo
3-1 Torpedo #KHL pic.twitter.com/YkrDthEHsn

— Hockey News Hub (@HockeyNewsHub) September 20, 2023

The three-point effort pushed Konyushkov’s season totals to five points in just eight games, good for 14th overall among all KHL defencemen. It’s worth noting that every defenceman ahead of Konyushkov is older, with the exception of Anton Silayev, Konyushkov’s teammate.

Speaking of which, at just 17 (!!!) years old, Silayev has managed to score six points in eight games, which is, frankly, mind-blowing. Larionov doesn’t seem to have an issue trusting young defencemen, which bodes well for Konyushkov’s development.

🚨 Maxim Letunov PP
🍎 Nikolai Kovalenko #GoAvsGo 🍏 Bogdan Konyushkov #GoHabsGo
1-0 Torpedo #KHL pic.twitter.com/XwQS7h6oAl

— Hockey News Hub (@HockeyNewsHub) September 20, 2023

Don’t forget, the Montreal Canadiens prospect recently signed a three-year extension in the KHL, which means his development will be out of the team’s hands for the foreseeable future.

The good news is that he’s already producing and getting regular minutes on the team that’s currently ranked first in the Western Conference, an incredibly encouraging sign for a player who was drafted in the fourth round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.

As an aside, I’d like to give a stick tap to the @HockeyNewsHub Twitter account for posting all the KHL highlights.

🚨 Vladislav Firstov #mnwild
🍏 Bogdan Konyushkov (0+2) #GoHabsGo
2-0 Torpedo #KHL pic.twitter.com/4tT7oU0FaO

— Hockey News Hub (@HockeyNewsHub) September 20, 2023

Rohrer And Engstrom

There aren’t many other Montreal Canadiens prospects in action at the moment. The vast majority are taking part in the team’s main training camp, where players like William Trudeau and Owen Beck have stood out.

The NCAA gets underway on October 6, which means we’ll have to wait a little longer before posting an endless stream of fantastic Lane Hutson highlights.

Fortunately, both Adam Engstrom and Vinzenz Rohrer have begun their seasons in Europe, with the former featuring on Rogle’s top pairing, and the latter making his debut for his new team, the Zurich Lions.

Engstrom was given over 20 minutes of ice time during his team’s first two games, a solid indication that he will once again play a very important role for his Rogle. He also earned one assist in the third game of the season, a 4-1 loss to Leksand.

As for Rohrer, he got off to a great start with the Lions, scoring in his very first game of the season. He’s yet to be allotted more than 12 minutes of ice time, which isn’t particularly alarming given that he’s only 19 years old, but hopefully, he can build some trust with the coaching staff, which should lead to an uptick in time on ice.

He’s a very smart forward, and though he may lack some consistency in his game, his vision and ability to quickly apply theory to game-time situations is the style of play most coaches adore.

Vinzenz Rohrer (MTL), September 15th, 2023

• 1st goal in his 1st career NL game
• 1 controlled exit, 3 controlled entries
• 71 % transition success rate
• 2 advantages created

*5v5 only#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/ajRzRx7AKO

— Lassi Alanen (@lassialanen) September 20, 2023