Canadiens' acquisition: Hughes may have hit a home run and pulled off a steal by adding the young defenseman Bogdan Konyushkov

The recent documentary aired by the Montreal Canadiens detailing the behind-the-scenes of the last draft contains a wealth of interesting information. While the debates around David Reinbacher and Jacob Fowler were intriguing to follow, the segment discussing young defenseman Bogdan Konyushkov greatly caught my attention.

Indeed, as you'll see around the 13th minute of the documentary, the CH's hockey men held the young Russian in high regard. Nick Bobrov even went as far as to give the ultimate compliment about Konyushkov.





There was even a debate about whether the organization would select Florian Xhekaj or him at the 101st pick if the opportunity arose. They ultimately decided to go with Xhekaj, hoping that the defenseman would be available at the 110th pick. Fortunately for the organization, they were able to select both desired players.

In 64 KHL games last season, Konyushkov tallied 2 goals and 23 assists, for a total of 25 points. He also added 5 points in 10 playoff games. As my colleague Cédrick Gervais from the Marqueur site points out, he played nearly 21 minutes per game, being utilized on both special units. His contribution quickly made him indispensable to the team.

In early July of the previous month, Konyushkov signed a three-season contract extension with his KHL club. He won't be able to join the CH until the 2026-2027 season when he'll be 24. Just imagine the progress he'll have made during that time, playing with men in the second-best league in the world!