Canadiens Add Another Draft Gem to the Roster in Zharovsky

But there are issues in his game. He may be 6-foot-1, but he needs to add size, as he is still only 165 pounds. Defensively, he needs refinement. He was drafted out of the Russian junior league Molodezhnaya Hokkeinaya Liga (MHL), so he was able to get by on talent alone and not worry about defensive responsibilities as he simply outscored teams singlehandedly, something he will not be able to do at the professional level.

Canadiens Find Success in Russia 

It’s still early in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) season, but Zharovsky now sits at four goals and nine points in only 11 games played. Considering he is still only 18 years old, that is impressive production. Add to that, his point totals at this stage of the KHL season are better than the record-breaking totals his childhood friend and Canadiens’ star rookie, Ivan Demidov, had in the same number of games played last season.

This puts Zharovsky on pace for a 50-point season that would break Demidov’s KHL record for points by a rookie. Even if he doesn’t break that record, remaining close to that pace would make him a candidate for the Rookie of the Year award. Zharovsky has this production and profile because his head coach, Victor Kozlov, has been giving him a few more opportunities, lining him up in their top six and giving him more ice time than Demidov had with Roman Rotenberg last season.

While Zharovsky was drafted as a winger, he is known to play centre, and his recent success in the KHL has been while playing at centre, which is going to make for some speculation as to whether he can do that at the NHL level, even if he is more likely to eventually play on the wing. Adding to that pressure from fans, the comparisons to Demidov. This is unfair to Zharovsky, as Demidov had been seen as a potential franchise player for a few years prior to his being drafted at fifth overall. Zharovsky, on the other hand, was somewhat of an unknown commodity, falling to the second round of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. With the expectations being so high on Demidov – oddsmakers have him as the favourite for the Calder Trophy – it is better for all if the focus is on development rather than comparing the two forwards.

Canadiens Must Remain Patient 

Montreal will remain prudent with player development. They have demonstrated that at every level, and it’s on display even in the NHL as they have been patient with Demidov, easing him into an NHL tempo. Head coach Martin St. Louis has been following his methodology of starting rookies while protecting them from difficult matchups, as he gives them freedom to use their skill sets without worry that any error would cause them to be benched. Despite the sheltered start over the first 10 games of the season, he’s still been able to score two goals and nine points in those 10 games.

The goal isn’t to rush him into the NHL; it’s to ensure he is prepared and ready to compete in the NHL on day one upon his arrival. It makes sense to want to see a young player with so much raw skill make his way to the NHL as soon as possible, but Victor Kozlov urges patience in Zharovsky’s case, and even compares him to a highly skilled Russian winger.

“I think that makes perfect sense (patience) in Zharovsky’s case. He needs time to physically mature and get stronger, so he can enter the NHL in a similar way Kirill Kaprizov did. That’s the ideal scenario. So let Montreal come visit us, think about how they’d like to see Zharovsky develop, and when the time comes, we’ll think about whether we’ll let them (the Canadiens) have him.”  

– Victor Kozlov

This sounds perfectly reasonable, and the Canadiens have the luxury of time. The team is progressing well, the young core is exciting and talented, and the expectations to win a championship haven’t arrived yet. However, the situation in Russia is fluid and may force the Canadiens to make a decision sooner than they expected.

Such as bringing him to North America. But for now, when is he able or available to come to North America? Well, technically, he is under contract until May 31, 2027, but it may not be set in stone that fans would need to wait two years before he can make the leap to professional hockey on this side of the Atlantic Ocean. His KHL Club, Salavat Yulaev, is coming off a very successful season, its best in several years. They reached the semifinals of the Gagarin Cup, where they lost to the eventual champions, Lokomotiv. Despite this, they are having significant financial problems that have forced them to offload some high-priced talent. 

Zharovsky’s focus is to play with his childhood friend, Demidov, in the NHL, and it will take some time, but his team’s financial woes in Russia could speed up his arrival in North America. It may force Montreal to bring him over a year sooner than expected, and if they do, it may be best to ease him into the culture and style of play by having him spend time with the American Hockey League (AHL) Laval Rocket.  

The reason fans are so excited about his success so far in the KHL and his possible arrival is due to his offensive skill. Something that will add to that excitement is the possibility that Demidov wins the Calder Trophy, which would be only the fourth time an NHL team has back-to-back Calder Trophy winners. But, they could also become the first NHL club to see their drafted prospects win back-to-back KHL Rookie of the Year honours if Zharovsky can repeat the feat his childhood friend had done in 2024-25. This, and the deep young core of players already on the roster, is why Canadiens fans are so excited about the future.