Top Red Wings Prospect Involved in Trade: Will Likely Not Come to the NHL For Several Years

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Tom Banks | Last updated Jun 11, 2025 1:15 PM ET

Dimitri Buchelnikov was a key pick for the Red Wings in the 2022 NHL Draft, but now a trade in the KHL means he may be years away from coming to the league.

The Detroit Red Wings have a very interesting prospect group, with some potential stars amongst a group of unknowns at this point in time, with one of the latter being Russian winger Dimitri Buchelnikov.

The 21-year old was a second-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, and despite being a little undersized at 5-foot-10, but in his first two full seasons of KHL action, he has thrived.

Last season with Vityaz, he tallied an impressive 15 goals and 54 points in 69 games played, and now, it's been announced that he has officially been traded to CSKA, meaning he will likely remain in the KHL for quite some time to come.

However, a follow up reveals that his current deal, now with CSKA runs until May 31 of 2026, meaning that if he doesn't extend his deal, we could likely see him competing in the NHL in the 2026/27 season.

While Detroit already have a talented group of wingers, it's never a bad idea to potentially get younger, and with Buchelnikov not turning 22 until September, even if he plays out the final year of his deal, he could make his NHL debut before or just after he turns 23.

There's certainly still some things in his game that he needs to work on, but after a 54-point campaign at just 21-years of age, Buchelnikov is flashing plenty of promise in the KHL, and if he can build on it in 2025/26, there's no reason why he can't make the immediate jump to the NHL the year following if he decides to go that route.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

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