2025/26 MHL Preview: Western Conference
An in-depth breakdown of the highs and lows of the Conference in charge of the Cup.
The Western Conference is where the top MHL talent lies. Homing a multitude of different clubs located in major hubs: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yaroslavl, it’s no surprise why that is.
2024/25 Recap
Kharlamov Cup Champions: MHK Spartak Moskva
Promoted: Krasnaya Armiya Moskva & Dinamo-Shinnik Bobruysk
Relegated: MHK Atlant Mytishchi & Amurskie Tigry Khabarovsk
Overall, this season went just about as expected out West. AKM Tula started off the season hot - winning 23 out of 29 - but an overall losing record against the big two kept them to a, still impressive, fourth place finish. Meanwhile, AKM-Junior got pounded hard to start the season as they lost their first 11 games. They spent the rest of the year flipping streaks, landing them in a mid-table spot in the Silver Division.
MHK Dynamo Moskva had their worst regular season since 2019/20, finishing sixth place and were eliminated by Loko Yaroslavl in the opening round of the playoffs. Loko had themselves a solid season, though a clear step back over the last two years. The back-to-back standings toppers had to settle for a third place finish and a semi-finals exit.
The aforementioned ‘big two’ are MHK Spartak Moskva and SKA-1946 St. Petersburg. They were neck and neck throughout the entirety of the regular season with the two most talented rosters in the MHL. It only made sense for the two to meet in the Kharlamov Cup Finals where Spartak blew a 3-0 series lead as SKA-1946 forced a Game 7. This comeback gave us an incredibly strange turn of events. The day before the final game, Spartak announced they would have to switch venues due to a scheduling conflict. This meant that instead of playing at the Megasport Arena (12,396 cap.), the game would be played at the Sokolniki Palace (1,538 cap.). Of course, fans were outraged, chairs were thrown onto the ice, and the whole situation became a tire fire, overshadowing MHK Spartak Moskva’s 6-2 victory to win the Cup.
Most Points: Ignat Lutfullin, SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (66)
Most Goals: Maxim Ilyichyov, Russkie Vityazi (33)
Most Assists: Ignat Lutfullin, SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (43)
MVP: Ivan Ryabov, MHK Spartak Moskva
Best Goalkeeper: Yaroslav Kuzmenko, MHK Spartak Moskva
The Missing Team
Announced on June 24th, Vityaz’s financial debts reached the point of the club not being functional and, thus, the KHL announced that both Vityaz and Russkie Vityazi would not be playing in the 2025/26 season. Three days later, the KHL announced that Vityaz are excluded from the KHL through 2029/30.
It wasn’t a shock announcement, but reality really set in once the transfers out started happening. Dmitri Buchelnikov (DET) was moved to CSKA, Ivan Vorobyov (STL) to Spartak, Yaroslav Busygin to Avtomobilist. Any player not moved out of the Vityaz system by July 15th would become an unrestricted free agent.
Focusing on the junior-level players on the move, Maxim Ilyichyov was the biggest fish after an incredible season as the leading goal scorer and finding time to play 12 KHL games. Ivan Detkov finished just two points shy from becoming the all-time leader and four goals from the all-time scorer for the Vityaz junior club.
C, Maxim Ilyichyov (33-15—48) - Tolpar Ufa
W, Saveli Zhirov (20-15—35) - Avto Yekaterinburg
W, Timur Marchenko (15-7—22) - ?
G, Nikolai Murashov - Ladia Togliatti
W, Ivan Detkov (8-14—22) - Buran Vorenezh
AKM Tula
Last Season: 35-15-4 (4th Place — Eliminated in Conference Quarter-Finals)
Key Players: Mikhail Lisenkov (C), Artyom Krikunenko (C)
Out: Ilya Kanarsky (G, CHI), German Shulenin (C/RW), Matvei Bryntsev (C), Kirill Beshkorov (D), Yaromir Yermakov (LW)
As one of the oldest teams on average age, AKM Tula faces the challenge of key players graduating out of the MHL. Going into this season, they will be down their starting goaltender in Kanarsky, a 31-goal scorer (2nd in the MHL) in Shulenin, and, the club captain, Bryntsev. Yermakov still may return, however, it’s more likely that he’ll re-sign as a member of the VHL club.
Prospects: Viktor Levchenko (G, 2025)
Viktor Levchenko passed through the 2025 NHL Draft, but his stats with all three AKM teams last season were great - too bad he’s on the smaller side of things.
NHL Drafted: Kirill Zarubin (G, CGY)
Zarubin backed up Kanarsky for the full 2024/25 season and should be bumped up to the starting role assuming he stays with the club.
2025/26 Prediction: 5th Place
The revolving door system works in AKM’s favour here to keep them a mid-table team in the Gold Division. Yermakov and Shulenin will be impossible to replace, but the strong defensive system they’ve implemented keeps the puck out of the net enough to give some leeway. The Kanarsky loss is offset by one of Zarubin or Levchenko taking the starting job. I could see them finishing as low as 8th and no higher than 4th.
Almaz Cherepovets
Last Season: 27-20-5 (7th Place — Eliminated in Play-ins)
Key Players: Makar Fomin (D), Anton Melchakov (G), Oleg Sadovin (C)
Out: Vitali Pesterev (D), Alexander Shilov (LW/RW), Yegor Smirnov (W/F), Emil Pyanov (C), Ivan Yershov (D)
Cherepovets have brought an influx of youth to the KHL team, leaving their MHL side in a state of flux with players bouncing up and down. Smirnov, Pyanov, and Yershov will both likely be spending the majority of the season with Severstal. Their best defencemen, Vitali Pesterev, has been moved up to the VHL level along with Alexander Shilov for two more major losses.
Prospects: Anton Melchakov (G, 2025), Makar Fomin (D, 2025), Konstantin Borisov (LW, 2027)
Fomin and Melchakov both went undrafted last month and will be making cases to be names to keep tabs on for 2026. Fomin is a transition master through his skating and passing - fitting in smoothly to the KHL last year because of his give-and-go style. At 5-foot-10, there’s slim chances to see Melchakov be a pick this year, even with the results he’s put up. Borisov is the top 2009 in the Cherepovets system, a much needed goal-scoring presence if he hits the ground running.
“There’s a strong stylistic fit with how [Fomin] attacks transitions and Severstal’s tiki-taka build up play. Quick, one-touch passes, exploiting space, taking risks to set up the next pass. He seems to always be under control despite the much heavier pressure he faced in this one compared to past games.”
[September 27th, 2024]
NHL Drafted: N/A
2025/26 Prediction: 8th Place
Almaz is in for a difficult season with how strong the teams in this division have proven to be. They did well to bring in, defencemen, Andrei Korzin from Omsk at the start of last season and Leonid Istomin from Vityaz on July 9th. Anton Melchakov gives peace of mind between the pipes and forwards Oleg Sadovin, Vsevolod Denezhkin, and Yegor Vlasov should lead the way to avoid relegation.
Dinamo-Shinnik Bobruysk
Last Season: 37-11-6 (Promoted)
Key Players: Nikita Salygo (LW), Alexander Yatsenko (D), Nikita Pavlov (RW)
Out: Dmitri Tukach (C/RW), Matvei Shidlovsky (LW/RW), Ivan Shatilo (D)
As a younger MHL team, Dinamo-Shinnik didn’t have much turnover this season. Their three major loses aren’t small by any means, though. Tukach has been great over the past two seasons as one of the top producers on the team. Shidlovsky was a reliable 30-point winger, Shatilo played big minutes and was their best defenceman overall, in my opinion.
Prospects: Daniil Rusakovich (G, 2027)
Maybe a weird pick, however, if Yevgeni Prokhorov leaves for the OHL, there will be competition for that starting role. Daniil Rusakovich is a 6-foot-3 netminder who put up respectable numbers around multiple U17 competitions.
NHL Drafted: Yevgeni Prokhorov (G, BUF)*
As it stands, Prokhorov will be the starting goaltender for Dinamo-Shinnik. He put up a .903 save-percentage in the regular season before dropping a .943 between the play-in round and playoffs. He was selected by the Flint Firebirds in the Import Draft, though.
2025/26 Prediction: 9th Place
This is always a tough team to gauge. With their talent coming out of Belarus, I don’t get the same viewings as the Russian teams, so I don’t see these players before they hit the MHL. That said, they have a solid team all around, just lacking that real power at the top of the line-up. They’re losing the best players from when they were last in the Gold Division, so maybe this is the rejuvenated team who could surprise.
Krasnaya Armiya Moskva
Last Season: 39-11-4 (Promoted)
Key Players: Pyotr Andreyanov (G), Ilya Pautov (RW), Nikita Frolov (C)
Out: Danila Stanislavsky (D), Timofei Obvintsev (G, TOR), Fyodor Yelsukov (D), Oleg Maistrenko (C/RW)
Three confirmed losses for Krasnaya Armiya come through the back line. Stanislavsky and Yelsukov have both been regulars since entering the league in 2021/22 and both will be in the VHL next season with Yelsukov moving to the Ufa system. Obvintsev leaves the CSKA farm unable to make himself the first choice goalkeeper. Maistrenko is the biggest loss up front as he should be moving into a professional role.
Prospects: Nikita Ovcharov (LW, 2026)*, Valeri Nikonov (G, 2026), Nazar Privalov (C, 2027), Daniil Yermolov (C/LW, 2027), Gleb Olkhovik (RW, 2027), Vladimir Shtyrkhunov (D, 2027), Artyom Katsuro (RW, 2027)
That’s a lot of names! Ovcharov and Nikonov are the 2026 Draft eligibles to watch. The former is a complementary forward with a powerful shot, but is a near guarantee to report to the Québec Remparts. Nikonov should be stepping up into the back-up role. The other names are all 2009-borns, with the majority featuring in my 2009 Spotlight on EliteProspects. Olkhovik and Katsuro were left out of that article, but not for a lack of skill. Katsuro is going to be one of the most entertaining players in the league with his handling, pace, and processing speed while Olkhovik is all about reliability and possession.
NHL Drafted: Pyotr Andreyanov (G, CBJ), Matvei Shuravin (D, FLA), Ilya Pautov (LW, PHI), Yan Matveiko (C, CGY)
Andreyanov has locked himself into CSKA with a contract extension until 2030 - expect another strong year from him as the starting goalie. Shuravin and Pautov both took steps forward in their development this past season. The hope for both is more professional minutes. Shuravin was given time in both the KHL and VHL in his draft year, but only laced up twice for Zvezda last season. Pautov is yet to play pro hockey. Matveiko was selected as a D+1 by Calgary despite his low production; I believe he’ll have to fight hard to keep a top-six spot with the influx of forward talent.
2025/26 Prediction: 3rd Place
An ambitious projection for the newly promoted side, but the strength throughout the squad is undeniable. Losing the names they did would hit a lot harder if they didn’t have absolute firepower to replace them. They face the problem of having too many U20 talents, which is going to make roster competition a fierce battle as the ‘09s look to break in and the veterans attempt to move up.
Loko Yaroslavl
Last Season: 36-12-4 (2nd Place — Eliminated in Conference Semi-Finals)
Key Players: Andrei Yelezov (LW), Ilyas Magomedsultanov (D), Matvei Kotkov (RW)
Out: Maxim Mayorov (G, DAL), Maxim Belousov (D), Yegor Surin (C/NSH)
Mayorov couldn’t quite get the first-choice spot with Loko before aging out of the MHL, but he did make his KHL debut last season. Belousov has been a key player on the blueline over the past two seasons and is now off to Togliatti. The rising star of Yaroslavl is Yegor Surin, who very likely played his final games in the MHL last season after a fantastic run with Lokomotiv in the Gagarin Cup Playoffs.
Prospects: Matvei Kotkov (RW, 2026), Dmitri Borichev (G, 2026), Leonid Sokol (RW/C, 2026), Ivan Kovalenko (LW, 2027), Artyom Frolov (C, 2027)
Kotkov established himself as a top 2008-born prospect, racking up 24 points in 27 games with Loko, the fourth highest point total on the team. With improvements to his skating, he could be a mid-round prospect. Borichev will be fighting to establish himself as a regular in what may end up being a four horse race. Sokol is a highly entertaining winger who broke into this team early and stuck around for the full season. He is a speedy and skillful winger, but that 5-foot-9 frame isn’t primed for an NHL Draft Selection.
NHL Drafted: Ilyas Magomedsultanov (D, SJS), Roman Luttsev (C, TBL), Kirill Yemelyanov (C, BOS), Roman Shokhrin (D, CAR)
Magomedsultanov and Shokhrin made for an interesting pairing as the two, big defencemen both play an aggressive style. Magomedsultanov sits further back to take on more defensive responsibility while Shokhrin adventures forward with his chaotic brand of offence. I can’t see Loko breaking the two up, so I would expect this to remain their second pair. Luttsev will be continuing his fight up into the KHL, so this should not be another full season in junior for him - his 63 point season last year proves he doesn’t need it. Kirill Yemelyanov likely slots in as the first line centre after a promising run in the playoffs in that role. His two-way presence is highly valuable, expecting a jump in production for him.
“There hasn’t been a draft eligible as impressive as Yemelyanov throughout this postseason for me. He’s bringing the same off-puck value with a good physical game, well timed stickwork, and an overall great sense of responsibility as a two-way centre on Loko’s top line. The increased offensive threat through more varied attacks and showing a little more dynamic skill is seeing his stock grow late on.”
[April 8th, 2025]
2025/26 Prediction: 2nd Place
Belousov leaves a gap to be filled on the Loko blueline, but other than that, this team is strong from top to bottom. In fact, all eleven of their top scorers are still eligible to return for next season - although, Luttsev is likely out of the squad. The youth that stepped in and became members of the core last season was a pleasant surprise and they have more strength on the way. I don’t see a world where they finish outside of the top three.
MHK Dynamo Moskva
Last Season: 31-18-3 (6th Place — Eliminated in Conference Quarter-Finals)
Key Players: Kurban Limatov (D), Ivan Arkhipov (C), Mikhail Melikov (LW)
Out: Ilya Panin (RW), Alexei Kuznetsov (D), Maxim Proskurin (LW), Matvei Maximov (RW), Makar Khanin (RW, MTL), Mario Patalakha (D)
Matvei Maximov has grown into a star of the league and exploded in the postseason with 12 points in 8 games, including a six-point game in the series winning victory over Krylia Sovetov in the play-ins. On top of Maximov; Panin and Proskurin have aged out and Khanin is likely moved up and out of the regular roster. Patalakha is the biggest loss on defence, though he only played 11 games for MHK Dynamo last season and was loaned out for KHL minutes. Kuznetsov was a bottom-pair mainstay.
Prospects: Vladimir Selivanov (G, 2026), Yelisei Ryabykin (D, 2026), Semyon Chuklinov (D, 2026), Nikita Gromakov (LW, 2026)
Selivanov featured in 14 games last season and took over the starting job with good results in the postseason. He’ll be challenging Ilya Podsukha hard for his role. Ryabykin and Chuklinov both debuted in the MHL last season and have similar profiles based around skating and adaptability to different roles.
NHL Drafted: Kurban Limatov (D, CAR)
Limatov is the lone draftee on the roster and he’s a great one to have. A 6-foot-4 defenceman with outstanding mobility, handling skill, and physicality; he’s a player that Dynamo will be relying upon to play big minutes.
“The steps that Limatov has taken are seriously paying off, looking more and more like a top-50 prospect with each viewing. He's solidifying the breakouts more and more with a couple of really impressive passing plays on top of the already dominant puck-carrying game.”
[March 10th, 2025]
2025/26 Prediction: 6th Place
I’m expecting a similar performance to last year from MHK Dynamo Moskva. They’re going in to this season with a hole in their forward core. The bright side is the retention of their top-line of Ivan Arkhipov flanked by Artyom Bondar and Mikhail Melikov. Their success this season will come down to how that middle-six fills out. Minimal personnel changes on defence and in net.
MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg
Last Season: 33-15-4 (5th Place — Eliminated in Conference Semi-Finals)
Key Players: Daniil Prokhorov (LW), Roman Bausov (D), Maxim Gusev (D)
Out: Maxim Panov (D), Nikita Demyanov (D), Kirill Bobrovskikh (C), Ruslan Rakhimov (LW), Leonid Boikov (RW)
Rakhimov is, by far, the biggest loss for St. Petersburg—he’s still eligible to potentially return, too. He led the team in scoring last year with 49 points and was the premier playmaking presence on this team. Besides him, Panov and Demyanov were reliable blueliners in limited minutes. Boikov will be back in the VHL for the first time since the 2022.
Prospects: Nikita Gromakov (LW, 2026), Ilya Dolgopolov (D, 2026)
A keen eye may have spotted that I listed Gromakov for both Dynamo clubs. It’s because he’s played for both of them already, duh. He skated three times with Moskva at the beginning of the season and was moved to St. Petersburg in December with a stint in the NMHL in between. He has solid offensive potential with his shot and consistency to get chances to use it. Dolgopolov is a fun name to say and a decent little player. Trustworthy defensive, defenceman.
NHL Drafted: Roman Bausov (D, CAR), Daniil Prokhorov (LW, NYI)*
Roman Bausov was given a major role in his sophomore season, given the second most ice time among defenders and keeping a clean defensive record. An injury ended his playoffs early, so he has a bit of a chip on his shoulder coming into this season. Prokhorov is such a wildcard. He climbed up draft boards fast and there was no telling where he was going to be picked. Now, after being selected by the Sarnia Sting in the Import Draft, the hard hitting winger’s home is uncertain for next season.
2025/26 Prediction: 7th Place
There’s so much uncertainty in this team right now. Given the amount of players without contracts for next season (including all three goaltenders) and the overall age of the team last year, there may be a much heavier focus on youth on MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg. They’ll also likely be reaching into the NMHL bag even more. If Prokhorov leaves, I can’t see them making it deep into the postseason.
MHK Spartak Moskva
Last Season: 43-7-2 (1st Place — Kharlamov Cup Winners)
Key Players: Yaroslav Kuzmenko (G), Nikita Tyurin (D), Maxim Filimonov (LW)
Out: Ivan Ryabov (C), Sergei Lukyantsev (LW), Anton Maryshev (D), Yegor Martynov (D), Roman Zolkin (D), Yegor Varyushkin (C/RW), Andrei Yarikov (RW)
This is one of the best groups of players to graduate out of the MHL. Lukyantsev is already on his way to become an icon of the Spartak badge, playing at all three levels last season and appearing in, a record-setting, 103 games in total. The same can be said for Ryabov (who only played a measly 96 games), who put together one of the best single-season performances by an MHL player ever and led the charge all the way through the finals. Maryshev and Martynov are both devastating losses on the blueline. The two of them led the team in ice time per game and are both on course for promising professional careers. Varyushkin was the team’s fifth top scorer with 31 in 31, but it was his playoff performances that take the cake, playing a pivotal role on a line with Ryabov and Plesovskikh.
Prospects: Vsevolod Matveyev (D, 2026), Artyom Mate (D, 2027), Illarion Babkin (D, 2027), Yevgeni Yakunin (C, 2027)
The age and talent of last year’s roster left little room for youth, but Matveyev was able to squeeze in as a 2026 NHL Draft eligible. Maybe not a player who will be garnering attention for the draft itself, though earning a role early is crucial for him. The remaining names are all 2009s. Mate and Babkin could very well replace the gaps left by the graduating defencemen. Two fluid movers who can play in various roles and two of the best ‘09s in the country right now. Yakunin plays a style that led me to drawing a comparison to Igor Chernyshov. Big bodied forward with a strong small-area game, excels on the rush, and drives results as a play sequencer.
NHL Drafted: Semyon Frolov (G, CAR), Yegor Midlak (G, FLA), Yegor Yegorov (G, CGY), Nikita Tyurin (D, DET), Alexander Plesovskikh (LW, TOR)
Three goalies with NHL connections on one roster… and none of them have the starting job. Semyon Frolov is the one to watch; my prediction is that he’ll be moved to Spartak-MAH (the brand new Spartak junior club) to be their full-time starter. As for Midlak and Yegorov, just hope they play some games.
Nikita Tyurin established himself as a standout defenceman as a rookie. A fantastic puck-mover through his elusiveness and venturesome moments of high-end handling. Plesovskikh had a great first season with his new team, showing more offensive talent this year while still fulfilling his regular duty as a two-way winger.
2025/26 Prediction: 1st Place
As I wrote this, I started to doubt that prediction. However, I’m holding firm that they have the squad to pull it off. They continue to nab players from lower status clubs, picking up Maxim Filimonov from Atlant, who should be able to replace the scoring of one of the forward losses. They also acquired Danila Sysoyev from Omsk and Danil Kochurov from Ufa—two big pick-ups. It might not be as dominant a season overall, but I expect the ‘09s to step in with big impacts early and the new forward acquisitions to put together strong seasons.
SKA-1946 St. Petersburg
Last Season: 42-8-2 (2nd Place — Eliminated in Finals)
Key Players: Yaroslav Korostelyov (G), Amir Nugmanov (LW), Nikita Surayev (RW)
Out: Vyacheslav Dubrovtsev (D), Matvei Polyakov (RW), Ivan Vydrenkov (D), Timur Kol (D, CAR), Nikita Nedopyokin (C), Ignat Lutfullin (LW), Ivan Remezovsky (D), Viktor Andreichenko (LW)
SKA-1946 goes down their three top scorers from last season in Lutfullin (66), Polyakov (50), and Nedopyokin (48) as they all move up to the VHL level. Lutfullin took huge steps forward to become their top guy, excited to see how his career pans out. On top of those three, Viktor Andreichenko was a debutante for 1946 last season and proved to be valuable depth at 0.5 p/gp.
On the defensive side of things, those are huge losses. Vydrenkov split the year down the middle between MHL and KHL and should be with the main club full time next year—6-foot-4 physical monster. Remezovsky has been a great player to watch, really strong puck moving instincts in addition to a game that has taken great steps forward since his debut. Timur Kol moves to his third KHL team in Dynamo Moskva, he was unlikely to play junior next year, anyway.
Prospects: Arseni Ilyin (RW/LW, 2026), Maxim Seldemirov (C, 2026), Yaroslav Krasavchikov (C/RW, 2027), Sergei Zatsepin (RW, 2027), Daniil Savin (LW, 2027), Stanislav Larionov (D, 2027)
Arseni Ilyin’s production slipped in his second MHL season, though his ice time was tanked as he moved up a club. His high-end playmaking was left mostly to be seen at ‘international’ level with the Russian U18 team at the Future Cup where he dominated. Seldemirov made his debut and found an instant role as a two-way centre in a bottom-six role. Expecting more offensive output next year.
“Seldemirov deploys a reliable two-way game and strong transition passing to be a nice complement piece, centring two very skilled wingers in this one. He's able to hit teams hard on counterattacks with risk/reward passing up through the neutral zone. Gave his linemate a breakaway with seconds left in the second with a beautiful pass that cut through the AKM players in the middle-third.”
[January 7th, 2025]
The 2009s are headlined by Krasavchikov, a smaller winger with incredible pace and a small-area game so good that I could not believe how small he really is. A real demon on the forecheck. Zatsepin is a player who can reliable score goals and his huge frame only adds value. Savin is another hard working winger, the open ice skill I’ve seen looks like it is highly translatable to the MHL. If Larionov makes this team, I will be jumping for joy. He stands at 5-foot-7 right now, so not a prototypical defenceman for SKA-1946, yet his offensive ability and slipperiness make up for that size and he’s been easily one of my favourite players to watch on Armiya-SKA.
NHL Drafted: Matvei Korotky (C, STL), Yaroslav Korostelyov (G, SJS)
Korotky took a major step forward last season to boost him all the way up to playing solid KHL minutes as a rookie. This does mean that he won’t be a daily player in the MHL. As a result, Korostelyov becomes the primary drafted prospect to watch. He put up amazing results in the regular season and was kicked to the sidelines comes playoff time in favour of Zavragin and Moysevich.
2025/26 Prediction: 3rd Place
A slight drop-off is to be expected when losing such crucial names. I think there’s enough in the tank to separate them from the teams below, though the gap is getting tighter. Losing half of their 20-goal scorers certainly hurts. Luckily, Sevastian Kapchuk found his scoring touch last season with 19 in 49 games. They’ll need one more player to step up - I’m hoping it’s a sneaky ‘09. Defence is a mess with those losses, though, they lost multiple irreplaceable players. They can fill the holes with capable MHL players from their pool, however, they’ve lose their top-four power.
AKM-Junior Tula Region
Last Season: 21-30-3 (6th Place)
Key Players: Viktor Levchenko (G), Danila Semikhin (LW)
Prospect: Matvei Viskov (D, 2026)
Viskov is an interesting little defenceman who showed signs of a creative, offensive playstyle while splitting time between AKM-Junior and AKM Novomoskovsk. Solid playmaking flashes, though his size and limited mobility mean an unlikely player for NHL Draft considerations.
2025/26 Prediction: 5th Place
Amurskie Tigry Khabarovsk
Last Season: 16-29-7 (9th Place — Relegated)
Key Players: Stepan Novak (RW/LW), Yaroslav Matyev (D)
Prospect: Yaroslav Matyev (D, 2026)
A 6-5, 220 left-handed defenceman with 19 KHL games under his belt is Yaroslav Matyev. I watched him at three different levels (U18/MHL/KHL) this season and it was an entertaining experience. He’s mobile and knows how to use his size to his defensive advantage. Showed minute-eating ability at the KHL already through defensive stops into clean breakouts (rinse and repeat), top-four quality in the MHL with more freedom, and a joke of a player against U18 opponents.
2025/26 Prediction: 1st Place
Dynamo-Kareliya Kondopoga
Last Season: 4-47-3 (10th Place)
Key Players: Fyodor Kuzmin (RW), Artyom Petrov (D)
2025/26 Prediction: 10th Place
Kapitan Stupino
Last Season: 19-30-5 (8th Place)
Key Players: Arkadi Loginov (RW), Vladimir Mukhin-Demidov (D)
2025/26 Prediction: 9th Place
MHK Atlant Mytishchi
Last Season: 27-20-5 (8th Place — Relegated)
Key Players: Alexei Krylov (LW), Ilya Koltyarov (C)
Prospects: Alexei Krylov (LW, 2026), Daniil Stepankov (LW, 2027)
Alexei Krylov had an interesting debut season in the MHL with 17 points in 39 games. Not a stat total that jumps off the page, but his nine goals were enough for 2nd place on the team - I would expect him to double that total. Stepankov was the most interesting ‘09 in the Mytishchi system in my viewings. Intelligence is his strong suit and the overall toolkit projects well to the MHL level.
2025/26 Prediction: 3rd Place
MHK Krylia Sovetov Moskva
Last Season: 25-23-6 (3rd Place)
Key Players: Alexei Rodionov (D), Khetag Gagiyev (D)
Prospect: Artyom Kuzin (C, 2027)
Kuzin is the pick of a thin crop and I can’t say it with too much conviction. He’s a player I’ve only seen bits off, but those bits looked like a future MHL scorer. Just strong offensive instincts, good finisher, moves well.
2025/26 Prediction: 2nd Place
Sakhalinskiye Akuly
Last Season: 19-29-6 (7th Place)
Key Players: Anton Plekhov (LW/RW), Semyon Vinogradov (D)
2025/26 Prediction: 8th Place
SKA-Yunior Krasnogorsk
Last Season: 21-28-5 (5th Place)
Key Players: Maxim Gusev (D), Yegor Privalov (RW/LW)
Prospect: Nikita Silyutin (LW/RW, 2026), Vladislav Drozhzhin (D, 2026), Ivan Bezukladov (D, 2027)
Silyutin is a 5-foot-10 winger with a hunger for physicality. Big hits accompanied with an actually detailed physical game for a player with his frame. Also 5-foot-10 is Drozhzhin, a smooth moving defenceman who impressed me with some awesome moves to create space against the forecheck. A potential 2009 (along with the players listed with SKA-1946) is Ivan Belukladov. He moves well for his 6-4 frame, utilizes his long reach well, and plays an aggressive brand of defence.
2025/26 Prediction: 6th Place
Spartak-MAH Moskva
Last Season: Did not exist
Key Players: Artyom Khaidarov (C), Oleg Trofimchuk (LW/RW)
Prospect: Vsevolod Kokorin (RW, 2027), Dmitri Pavlov (LW, 2027)
Kokorin has the potential to be a true power forward. He plays a hard-nosed game along the perimeter, pace bursts in open ice, and drops the shoulder for moves to the centre. Has to improve on showing that force more frequently. Strangely, Pavlov’s name isn’t on either Spartak roster yet. I thought his advanced off-puck game, high sense, and skating were all MHL quality, must be something going on there.
2025/26 Prediction: 4th Place
Taifun Primorsky Krai
Last Season: 17-31-6 (9th Place)
Key Players: Ivan Fomin (LW), Demyan Yermak (RW/C)
Prospects: Ivan Fomin (LW, 2025), Rafik Varosyan (LW/RW, 2026)
Ivan Fomin was the best prospect in the 2025 NHL Draft class in categories you can’t even pronounce. 5-8, 137 of anger, speed, and a million points.
Rafik Varosyan left for the OHL last season with Owen Sound and has returned to the Admiral system for his draft-eligible season. Not exactly a great sign, but he’s a fun player; pacey, skillful.
2025/26 Prediction: 7th Place
