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Canadiens Prospect Bogdan Konyushkov Receives KHL Accolade

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7 months ago

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montreal canadiens bogdan konyushkov

Few prospects have garnered more attention in the early parts of the season than Montreal Canadiens draft pick Bogdan Konyushkov.

Konyushkov, 20, is currently playing for Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in the KHL, where he has quickly established himself as one of the most important players in the lineup.

We checked in on Konyushkov on September 7, during a game against SKA St-Petersburg which gave us a glimpse into his long-term potential.

It was clear from the very get-go that Konyushkov had earned the trust of his head coach, former NHL forward Igor Larionov, a very encouraging sign from a developmental standpoint.

Much like the NHL, the KHL rarely gives ample opportunities to young players. The fact that Larionov did not hesitate to use Konyushkov in every situation despite his lack of experience was a breath of fresh air, especially when you consider how few shifts SKA head coach Roman Rotenberg gave to top prospect Matvei Michkov during the game in which Konyushkov excelled.

For the record, since that game, Michkov was loaned to Sochi, where he has scored two goals and three assists in just four games.

I’m not mentioning his impressive production to anger Habs fans who wanted the team to draft the offensive dynamo. Rather, it’s just further evidence that when a player’s development is out of an NHL team’s hands, things can quickly go haywire.

But thankfully, that doesn’t seem like it’ll be a problem when it comes to Konyushkov.

Larionov doesn’t just trust his young defenceman more than most, he depends on Koynushkov to play the most minutes in the lineup, regardless of the situation.

MUST READ: Montreal Canadiens Prospect Report – Bogdan Konyushkov’s Great Start

If the team needs to control the play at 5v5, kill an important penalty, or even score a crucial power-play goal, Koynushkov is the first player to jump over the boards.

Larionov’s penchant for trusting young players paid off on Monday when Konyushkov was named the best defenceman of the week in the KHL.

You’ll note that only two of Konyushkov’s six points this season were registered last week, which usually isn’t enough to earn POTW honours. But in his case, it has more to do with how many important minutes he’s playing rather than a good week from a production standpoint.

Given that he recently signed a three-year contract extension, Habs fans will have to be patient when discussing the possibility of Konyushkov joining the team.

But they can take solace in knowing that the 2023 fourth-round pick is being given as many opportunities as humanly possible to stand out in the KHL, which was far from a guarantee.

Simply put, thanks to a little help from Larionov, Konyushkov is seizing the day.

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