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CA’s top 20 Canucks summer prospect rankings: #5 Kirill Kudryavtsev

Originally posted on Canucksarmy | By Dave Hall | Last updated Jul 25, 2025 5:12 PM ET

We are back with the 2025 summer edition of our CanucksArmy top 20 Vancouver Canucks prospect rankings.

Today, we present to you our 5th-ranked player in the system, a seventh-round gem who’s accelerated up the Vancouver depth chart at warp speed.

Our previously ranked prospects:

#20 – Ilya Safonov
#19 – Aku Koskenvuo
#18 – Parker Alcos
#17 – Wilson Björck
#16 – Anri Ravinskis
#15 – Josh Bloom
#14 – Kieren Dervin
#13 – Danila Klimovich
#12 – Riley Patterson
#11 – Anthony Romani
# 10 – Vilmer Alriksson
# 9 – Ty Young
# 8 – Ty Mueller
# 7 – Sawyer Mynio
# 6 – Arshdeep Bains

If you’re curious about our ranking criteria, you can find them in our honourable mentions installment.

Kirill Kudryavtsev

They don’t come often, but the Vancouver Canucks appear to have found a seventh-round gem.

His climb from the juniors to the professional ranks has been a thrilling come-up to sit back and enjoy. Despite being 21 years young, Kirill Kudryavtsev has quickly ascended from a third-pairing AHL option to a heavy-minute and power play mainstay for the Abbotsford Canucks in his first year of play.

His strong play was already rewarded with a two-game NHL audition. With playoffs out of reach in Vancouver, Kudryavtsev slid into games against the Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks to become the first seventh-round draftee from the 2022 class to see NHL games. That makes him one of only three players from the seventh round to catch NHL action since 2021.

While he never factored into the scoresheet, he finished as a plus-one with two shots on goal and five blocked shots while skating an average of 14:08 combined. More importantly, he looked comfortable in his new and improved environment, showing strong promise for what’s to come in the future.

But that’s just Kudryavtsev’s game. Simple, no stress hockey.

He took that late vote of confidence and applied it to an incredible AHL postseason run that resulted in one of the top performances among all defenders, let alone rookies, and a Calder Cup to boot.

Although it was a strong run, it wasn’t without its setbacks.

Being a rookie defender in his first playoff stint, Kudryavtsev found himself on the outside of the roster in a few instances, sitting for three games of the 24-game championship run.

With a blue line chock-full of experienced AHL veterans, the intensity of postseason hockey exposed some expected growing pains, resulting in him briefly being held out of the lineup midway through the run for a reset.

The short pause proved to be a turning point, as Kudryavtsev worked closely with assistant coach Jordan Smith, dissecting game tape to pinpoint areas for improvement.

“We watched my shifts, and he pointed out my mistakes,” Kudryavtsev told post-game media. “He told me to watch it from above. Then, unfortunately, Wolly [Christian Wolanin] got out (injured), and I got my chance to step back in and earn the coach’s trust.”

Once back in the lineup, he took that experience and ran with it to become one of the team’s minute munchers from the backend. He even won over the secondary power play quarterback position, beating out other candidates such as Victor Mancini for that crown.

When the cup was finally handed over to the Canucks, Kudryavtsev finished tied for third in points (10) among defenders and led the entire AHL field as a plus-18. In fact, he was on the ice for just three goals at 5-on-5 through his entire 21-game run while playing top-four minutes.

In addition to what he brought to the ice, it’s also what the team missed when he wasn’t present. One of Kudryavtsev’s best traits is his ability to break out with a smooth and thoughtful first pass, and without him in the lineup, the Canucks’ transition game took a noticeable hit.

At 5-foot-11, 200 pounds, Kudryavtsev is stocky, but his sub-6-foot frame remains a point of scrutiny for his NHL aspirations. Still, he’s answered doubters with exceptional stick work and hockey sense through the regular season and five hard-fought playoff matchups.

Though not the most physical player, he utilizes an incredibly active stick in the defensive end to pressure opponents, forcing turnovers and untimely mistakes. Whether clogging up lanes, swiping pucks aside, or just placing it in the general vicinity of the player, his work with his stick is a masterclass.

Offensively, Kudryavtsev displays excellent vision, utilizing his accurate stretch pass to quickly move the puck up and create scoring opportunities for his teammates. He confidently executes give-and-go plays in the offensive zone and displays a unique poise when connecting with these plays.

Whether quarterbacking the power play or shutting down opponents in his own zone, he anticipates the game with a calculated composure that acts beyond his age.

“He’s not an overly big guy, but he compensates with his ability to move his feet and close plays with a good stick, closing time and space with speed,” head coach Manny Malhotra said during an intermission interview with play-by-play announcer Brandon Astle.

“He’s more than willing to get physically engaged in the corners,” Malhotra continued. “He’s done a really good job of using the minutes he’s earned. The fact that he’s 21 never really pops into my mind.”

During the regular season, he finished with a plus-18 rating, placing him 12th overall in the AHL and tied for first among rookie defensemen. His 26 points (five goals, 21 assists) finished seventh highest among rookie defenders and tied for second on the Abbotsford backend.

Ceiling: Kudryavtsev’s ceiling is a reliable and versatile NHL defenceman capable of playing various roles. Although a left shot, he’s able to make the switch and is comfortable playing on the right side, which adds a significant boost to his value. His hockey IQ and developing two-way game could allow him to grow into a second-pair transitional defender.

Floor: Kudryavtsev’s floor is a solid AHL defender with NHL call-up potential. His well-rounded game and consistent development make him valuable at the AHL level, where he could become a veteran leader.

ETA: Despite just recently turning 21, Kudryavtsev already finds himself close to the NHL cusp. While a crowded backend likely keeps him down in the American League, don’t be surprised to see him earn call-ups throughout the season. The departure of a few key defenders in Abbotsford is likely to result in Kudryavtsev becoming a heavily relied-upon defender in 2025-26. He could be ready to crack a full-time NHL spot by 2026-27.

That’s our #5 spot.

This article first appeared on Canucksarmy and was syndicated with permission.

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