Why the Canadiens Won't Regret Drafting Alexander Zharovsky

Alexander Zharovsky is one of those young wingers who looks like he’s been playing above his age group for a while now. The Montreal Canadiens clearly saw something they liked enough to move up and grab him, sending picks 41 and 49 to Carolina to get No. 34 in the 2025 NHL Draft. That’s not a casual move; it’s a team locking in on a player they believed was slipping too far. And according to their internal rankings, they had Zharovsky sitting inside their top 12 prospects overall, which tells you just how much they valued him.

Zharovsky has been scoring at an elite clip this season in Russia.

What makes him stand out is simple: offence. At just 18 years old, Zharovsky put up 42 points this season, falling just seven points short of a U20 KHL record held by his childhood friend Ivan Demidov. That’s not a small detail either — that production came against grown men in a very structured league, not junior hockey where scoring can get a little inflated. He’s listed as a right winger but can slide left side too, and that versatility is part of why Montreal was willing to be aggressive in the draft to get him.

There’s also something interesting brewing here in terms of timing. Zharovsky and Demidov could end up being teammates as early as next season, which is a fun thought for Canadiens fans. Two highly skilled young forwards, already familiar with each other, are potentially growing into NHL roles around the same timeline. That’s the kind of internal chemistry teams usually try to build over years. In this case, Montreal might stumble into it naturally.

Zharovsky is a good puck handler with elite vision for a youngster.

Stylistically, Zharovsky is a creative player first. He’s comfortable carrying the puck, he can slow the game down when needed, and he’s got the vision to set up plays instead of just finishing them. He’s not a “straight-line” winger. He’s comfortable attacking off the rush, but he also has the patience to slow plays down and create in tight spaces. That kind of mindset usually takes time to translate. But when it clicks, it gives a team a real offensive driver.

Of course, there’s still growth and development. He’ll need to get stronger, adjust to NHL pace, and prove he can handle heavier defensive pressure without losing his edge. But Montreal isn’t looking for instant payoff here. They’re building something longer term. And players like Zharovsky are exactly the type you take a swing on when you’re trying to build a skill-heavy young core.

Is there a chance Zharovsky makes the Canadiens’ roster next season?

There’s at least a realistic path for Zharovsky to push for NHL games next season, though Montreal likely won’t rush him. If everything goes right, this isn’t just a draft pick that fills a prospect pool. It’s the kind of player who could end up sliding into a young Canadian core in Montreal that suddenly looks a lot more dangerous than people expected a few years ago.