Alexander Zharovsky – 2025 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

With his enviable offensive tools, Zharovsky led Tolpar Ufa with 24 goals and 50 points in 45 games and finished 11th in MHL scoring. Although he didn’t see any Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) action during the regular season, he was dominant, going on a 12-game point streak from Dec. 18 to Feb. 15, where he put up 24 points. After Tolpar was bounced from the playoffs after just two games, he was finally called up to the KHL with Salavat Yulaev, where he was the only U18 player and just one of four teenagers to see any playoff action. In seven games, he looked solid, too, putting up a single assist while averaging just over six minutes a game. He also spent some time in the Russian U18 playoffs, too, where he scored 12 goals in 10 games.

The rest of Zharovsky’s skills are a work in progress, but his final few KHL appearances showed significant improvements in several areas. His skating stride still lacks a lot of speed, and he often can’t get that separation from defenders to carry the puck into the offensive zone, but he has a lot of agility, making quick turns and changes in direction to help maintain puck possession. His first passes were exactly where they needed to be, and when in the offensive zone, he was constantly cycling, looking for the best place to catch a rebound or set himself up for a scoring chance. He also has a very active stick, which he uses to create turnovers and prevent breakout passes, and while it wasn’t always successful, he’s often in the right place at the right time. The intelligence and awareness are there, but still very raw and will need some time to develop fully.

Zharovky still has some work to do with his intensity. There were multiple times in his game against Yaroslavl Lokomotiv where he had the opportunity to make a hit, but shied away from contact and instead tried to use his stick to break up the play, which was far less effective. Part of that could come down to feeling a bit intimidated playing against men for the first time in his career; playing in the KHL is a big jump for juniors, and even Montreal Canadiens’ phenom Ivan Demidov looked overwhelmed in his first few games in the league. Zharovsky still wasn’t overly physical in the MHL, but was more engaged defensively and used his 6-foot-1 frame more effectively, so there’s time to add muscle and confidence.

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Alexander Zharovsky – NHL Draft Projection

A small handful of scouts have been passionately proclaiming Zharovsky’s name for most of the season, but it wasn’t until Central Scouting gave their mark of approval that he emerged as a top prospect for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. However, despite Zharovsky’s massive rise, it’s unlikely he ends up a first-round selection. There’s just too much risk with a player like him who plays in a less competitive junior league and shows a lot of inconsistency and holes in his game.

That’s not to say he won’t pan out; Yegor Chinakhov played almost exclusively in the MHL in 2019-20 before the Columbus Blue Jackets made him a surprising first-round selection. While it doesn’t appear he’ll follow in Chinakhov’s footsteps, Zharovsky is a good bet to go in the second round.

Quotables

“Zharovsky is one of my sleepers in this draft class. He’s an elusive offensive winger who’s a consistent threat to score at even strength and the power play. His skating stride is solid, he now needs to add more strength, which will lead to better separation in open ice.” Jason Bukala, Sportsnet

“He’s just so much fun, he’s dynamic and creative to a degree that I haven’t seen from many guys past this point in the draft. He brings quick-thinking and creative problem-solving under pressure, with a quick and fluid dynamic range of movement in his handling, impressive playmaking, and a dangerous shot release that he could stand to use more often; and those to me are at a higher level with him than some of the guys higher up on this list, and it’s a skillset I’m willing to bet on pretty high in this draft…If he can improve his skating a bit, add some strength, and gain more consistent intensity, Zharovsky could be a special player.” – Gray Matter, SMAHT Scouting

“Zharovsky’s dominance this season has been impressive, to say the least. The most exciting element to his projection is the fact that it still looks like he has many more levels to his game that he can reach. He has been able to stuff the stat sheet with highlight-reel passing plays and elite dekes while still looking raw. If all goes well, Alex could easily become a smart and dangerous top-six playmaker who makes difficult plays look effortless against the world’s best defenders.” – Henry Lawrence, McKeen’s Hockey

“He has legit, game-breaking skill for this level (MHL). Is he out of control sometimes? Absolutely. However, when he’s composed, we see a player who manipulates with incredible handling skill and withstands pressure attempts with ease. He feasts on opponents barging towards him with simple, dynamic handles to send them the wrong way and take the space. Adding in the benefits of his frame, he’s able to hold the puck for extended amounts of time as he looks to attack valuable areas of the ice. If he doesn’t see a place to make a play, he can make a cutback with no issue and basically reset his possession until he finds a play. Moving forward, he won’t be able to make choices like that multiple times a game, but it’s impressive to see how easily he can take over the offensive zone and force the defence to pay extra attention.” Dylan Griffing, Elite Prospects

Strengths

Under Construction/Improvements to Make

NHL Potential

Projecting junior players from the MHL is almost an impossible task. The Russian junior league is already significantly weaker than those in Sweden and North America, but Zharovsky spent most of his time playing in the weaker Eastern Conference, further obscuring his potential. Thankfully, there are a few KHL playoff games to go off of, and in those clips, he looked promising, leading some to claim he could be a top-six impact winger in the NHL. But that’s only if everything goes right. He’s just as close to becoming the next great Russian prospect as he is to never playing in the NHL. Still, his skill level may be worth the high risk.

Risk-Reward Analysis

Risk – 5/5, Reward – 4/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offence – 8.5/10, Defence – 5.5/10

Awards/Achievements

Interviews/Links

Alexander Zharovsky Stats

Videos