The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League announced that Buffalo Sabres prospect Vsevolod Komarov has been named Defenseman of the Year. The Russian defenseman registered 69 points in 60 games for the Quebec Remparts and the Drummondville Voltigeurs this past season.
The Sabres selected Komarov in the fifth round, 134th overall, in the 2022 NHL Draft. According to Elite Prospects, he’s 6’2″ tall and weighs 187 pounds. He just turned 20 this year in January.
Despite being a late-round draft pick, Komarov is a key component of Buffalo’s organization. He’s one of only two right-handed shooting blueliners under contract next season, along with Connor Clifton. The Sabres also retain Henri Jokiharju’s rights as a restricted free agent. He has yet to agree to a new deal.
For a better idea of what Komarov brings to the table, here’s an excerpt from Elite Prospects’ 2022 NHL Draft Guide:
Took a pass in motion, skated parallel to the boards, drew defensive attention, then turned the shot into a cross-slot pass for a chance. Received on open-ice retrievals. Used a give-and-go to activate off the point. A couple of crafty plays on breakouts and he missed some opportunities when under pressure.
The QMJHL is known as a high-scoring league, but recording over a point per game as a defenseman is still an impressive feat. The next highest-scoring defenseman in the Q was Arizona-turned-Utah prospect Jeremy Langlois with 62 points in 61 games. Komarov’s 14 goals were third in the league among defensemen to Langlois’ 17 and Loic Usereau’s 15.
Based on the excerpt and his point totals, there’s a dynamic offensive element to Komarov’s game. He’ll likely head to the AHL to see if he can be impactful offensively on the Rochester Americans next season.
As for the future, there’s a definitive path to the NHL given his handedness and ability. Should Komarov avoid any major hiccups at the next level, he’s on a development path for a run at an NHL job by the end of his entry-level deal.
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