Meet Your New Bruins: Marat Khusnutdinov

Going into the 2020 NHL Draft, Khusnutdinov was ranked 12th out of the European Skaters by NHL Central Scouting and was predicted to go somewhere in the second or third round. He received praise from scouts for his ability to always have his foot on the gas, playing hard no matter if he had the puck on his stick or not. Despite being on the shorter side going into the draft (he was 5-foot-9 but has grown a few inches since then), he was praised for his ability to win board battles.

Khusnutdinov was selected in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft with pick number 37 by the Minnesota Wild. He was the first of two picks the team had in the second round that year. The second pick came only two slots later, pick 39, which was used to draft Ryan O’Rourke, who is playing in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Iowa Wild. Khusnutdinov was picked 21 spots ahead of new teammate Mason Lohrei, who was the Bruins’ first pick of the 2020 Draft.

Khusnutdinov’s Development in the KHL

Khusnutdinov remained in the KHL after being drafted, continuing with the SKA St. Petersburg club. In the 2020-21 season, he moved up from the juniors league and made his KHL debut. He played 12 games with the big club that season while also making Team Russia’s roster for World Juniors, where he had five points in seven games. The following season saw him scoring his first goal in the KHL, registering five goals and 12 points in 32 games.

His breakout season in the KHL came in 2022-23, when he had 11 goals and 41 points in 63 games. He was second on the team in assists and tied Artemi Panarin for the seventh-highest single-season point total in KHL history by a player 20 years or younger.

The 2023-24 season saw him traded to HK Sochi after starting the season scoreless in six games. He got things back on track, registering six goals and 20 points in 49 games for the team before signing his two-year entry-level contract with the Wild.

Struggles in Minnesota

As mentioned, Khusnutdinov arrived in North America last season with little experience playing on the smaller, North American-sized ice. There is a learning curve that comes with that, and players need to adapt their game. The bigger international rink size used in the KHL means more space to play with. The game can be less physical, and players have more time to make decisions. Things are faster in the NHL due to the closer quarters on the ice, and that takes time to adjust to. 

Khusnutdinov went directly to the NHL, appearing in the final 16 games of the 2023-24 season. He had four points, including one goal, his first in the NHL, which came on April 12 against the Vegas Golden Knights. 

In 2024-25, he made the Wild’s roster out of training camp but struggled to find his footing and his confidence. He had only two goals and seven points in 57 games. Just days before his trade to Boston, Khusnutdinov was sent down to the AHL for the first time in hopes he could further develop and get some confidence back. Due to the trade, though, he never appeared in a game for Iowa, so he remains part of the minority of NHL players who have never appeared in an AHL game.

It’s also good to note that Khusnutdinov was only averaging 11:14 of ice time in Minnesota, making it a bit more challenging to adjust when he’s not getting much playing time. With Boston entering a rebuild, it’s the right destination for a guy like him, as he should get more opportunities playing for a team that’s not in a playoff spot with the postseason pressure breathing down their necks.

What Khusnutdinov Brings to Boston

Khusnutdinov brings a lot of potential to Boston. With some time, patience, and the right opportunities to develop, there is a lot to be excited about the 22-year-old. He recently scored his first goal as a Bruin in a brilliant goal that showed off his excellent skating abilities and speed.

In his three games for the Bruins, he’s averaged almost four more minutes of ice time a night (15:05), giving him more opportunities. He’s also currently playing on the second line with Elias Lindholm and Lauko, another valuable opportunity. I think there is a lot to be excited about when looking at this player, and he could develop into an essential building block for this roster in the rebuild. 

It was clear that Khusnutdinov needed some form of change after the rough start to the 2024-25 season, whether that was in the AHL or on another team. Right now, things seem to be clicking with the Bruins, and hopefully, he’ll be able to build his confidence and develop into the player many thought he had potential to be when he was drafted into the league in 2020. 

There is also a history of leadership with Khusnutdinov, who is always the type of guy a team wants to bring into a locker room, especially in a rebuild. He was the captain of Team Russia at the 2022 World Juniors before it was canceled after two games. He was also given an ‘A’ for HK Sochi last season when he was only 21.

If the Bruins play this right, they may look back at this trade as an absolute steal in a few seasons. He isn’t playing center at the moment, which is traditionally his preferred position, but this has been a position of concern for Boston the last few seasons, given their lack of depth and young talent. Now, there are some reasons to tentatively be excited with Matthew Poitras and Khusnutdinov, who could develop into real top-end talent at center. The raw skills are there, now they just need the time, development, and opportunity to put it all together. It’s obviously too early for comparisons, but the team has traditionally done well with second-round center picks, as that’s where they drafted Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci.

So far, in a small sample size, Khusnutdinov has looked good in Boston. Even if the playoffs get further and further out of reach in the next 15 games, it will be interesting to watch and see how he and other new additions like Casey Mittelstadt do.