Top Rookies for the new season

KHL.ru’s Anton Vasyatin talks about the top choices for the coveted Rookie of the Year award.

The battle for the prize of the best rookie in the KHL traditionally is a hot one. In the upcoming season, it’s unlikely that anything will change, as the League boasts plenty of talents who have yet to fully establish themselves at the new level. In 2023, the Alexei Cherepanov Award went to Nikita Grebyonkin, a forward on loan to Amur from Metallurg. This time around, the rookie category includes players born between 2002 and 2006 who have no more than 20 KHL career games.

Mikhail Gulyayev – defenseman, 2005, Avangard

Blueline players don’t often seriously contend for the title of the season’s best rookie, as it requires not only securing a permanent spot in the main lineup but also delivering enough productivity. However, there are exceptions at times – Artyom Alyayev grabbed the honor back in 2016 following a breakout season with Torpedo. Arguably, the most gifted young offensive defenseman in the league is precisely Mikhail Gulyayev. A product of Sibir, he’s gearing up to start his fourth full season in the Avangard system.

He's already proven himself in the JHL, where he initially had a remarkable debut season (accumulating 35 points in the regular season — the best all-time performance among 16-year-old d-men), and then showcased his skill the following year (averaging over a point per game). In both cases, the junior Hawks had deep playoff runs. Gulyaev also has experience at the pro level, with 12 games in the VHL, as well as 13 in the KHL during the past season. Currently, the Avangard prospect falls behind Dmitry Simashev in defensive play, but excels, for instance, in terms of puck possession, effectively delivering it to teammates in the offensive zone. The potential of a standout playmaking defenseman is evident in Gulyayev.

Roman Kantserov – forward, 2004, Metallurg

Maybe last year the honor nominally went to an Amur player, but everyone understood which club Nikita Grebyonkin belongs to. This time around, Magnitka will ice another exciting prospect in Roman Kantserov. For three seasons, the winger was a leader for the JHL’s Steel Foxes, eventually rising to star status. In the 2022-2023 season, he shone brightly in the Challenge Cup match and subsequently received an invitation to the KHL All-Star Game.

By the age of 19, Kantserov became the all-time top sniper for Metallurg’s junior team in his age category (with 72 goals in 164 games). A characteristic feature of Roman’s game, apart from his individual skill, is his ability to find the shortest path to the net. He is known for his strong movement and determination to get into a shooting position by any means available. Nearly every time he steps onto the ice, he creates goal-scoring opportunities — for himself and his teammates alike. In the previous JHL season, by the way, he formed a very successful troika with Andrei Kozlov and Ilya Kvochko.

Currently, Kantserov is getting opportunities to showcase his talents with Magnitka, and he is arguably the primary candidate for a spot as a 2004-born player under the league’s development rules. In the recent summer matches, he managed to make an impact several times. Considering Andrei Razin’s level of trust in young players and his team’s playing style, there is no doubt that Roman can succeed in the upcoming season.

Dmitry Buchelnikov – forward, 2003, SKA

Even before the start of the 2022-2023 season, Dmitry Buchelnikov was one of the main contenders for a breakthrough among young players in the KHL. After an outstanding preseason (where he even got opportunities on the power play), he began the regular season within the main SKA lineup and even managed to score his first goal at the professional level (against Admiral). However, he ended up playing in only ten games for SKA, eight of which were in September. The remaining part of the season was primarily associated with the SKA-Neva VHL affiliate team. Nevertheless, it’s hardly accurate to call this a step backward.

Buchelnikov is a great example of gradual development after youth hockey. His first season in the JHL (2020-2021) was an adaptation period, although even then, Dmitry quickly became one of the leaders for the SKA’s junior team. In May, he even scored against Team Canada in the U18s finals. After that came his first full and impressive JHL championship. In the regular season, he became the second top scorer (41 goals) and the top point-scorer (75 points). An unfortunate injury affected his performance in the later stages of the playoffs, but after winning the Kharlamov Cup, the mood clearly changed. It was after this that he had that preseason with SKA and a season with SKA-Neva. In the VHL team, Dmitry received sufficient playing time and demonstrated dominance, with 28 points in 35 games in the first stage and an additional 2 points in the team’s short playoff run.

The next logical step in his career should be playing in the KHL, and on a regular basis. Whether this happens with SKA or another club (if the SKA management chooses to loan him out), there’s every chance that Buchelnikov will succeed. His adaptation to pro hockey has already been relatively smooth. As a skilled winger with the potential to score over 20 goals in a KHL season, his future looks promising.

Dmitry Simashev – defenseman, 2005, Lokomotiv

Sports statistics often lead to misconceptions, and a specific number of points doesn’t always reflect a player’s true abilities. Dmitry Simashev is a prime example of this. The defenseman from the Lokomotiv system was already called up to the main team in the 2022-2023 season (accumulating a total of 18 games), but he didn’t score any points, although he came close to getting for the first time on the score sheet several times. This can be easily explained by his very limited ice time, which in most cases didn’t surpass the 8-minute mark. A similar situation regarding points persisted for quite some time even in the JHL. By the end of the calendar year, Simashev had only collected three assists.

In reality, Dmitry wasn’t just fulfilling defensive duties; he was also constantly aiding in initiating attacks. This was primarily due to his excellent skating, which allowed him to come out on top even in the toughest situations — for example, when having minimal space. In the latter half of the season, his statistics improved. He finished the JHL regular season with 10 points in 29 games, adding 2 goals and 4 assists in the elimination stage. His JHL career is proving to be successful — in the under-18 age category, Simashev is the most productive defenseman all-time for Loko.

There’s a high likelihood that the Railwaymen’s product will frequently appear on the ice in the new KHL season, even despite the experienced defense of the team – with Marchenko and Osipov leaving, his chances have increased even more. At this stage, his development path may resemble that of Alexander Romanov in the 2018-2019 season — at the same age and under the same head coach. To contend for the Rookie of the season award, standing out with productivity is essential — a challenging task for any young player, but Dmitry Simashev has the potential to become a valuable player for Lokomotiv.

Ivan Demidov – forward, 2005, SKA

At just 17 years old, Ivan Demidov is already one of the most dominant young players in the world. His speed, game intelligence, and individual skills would be envied by many professionals. Drawing parallels, Demidov’s current position is somewhat reminiscent of what Dmitry Buchelnikov experienced a year ago — an outstanding preseason with SKA following his leadership in the JHL. However, the nuance here is that Demidov is not just a year younger, but two.

Ivan has already left his mark in the JHL history, becoming the top assist provider among players under 16 (and also the second top scorer, with only Matvei Michkov ahead of him). By the way, this summer, the Demidov-Michkov duo in SKA has proven to be the most organic and effective. During the tournament in Sochi, in early August, there were likely no brighter players on the ice. Ivan often acts as a playmaker (and initially entered the JHL playing in the middle), but he has no trouble finishing plays either. One of the intriguing aspects in the coming days is where the forward will begin the regular season, as there is a tight competition within SKA even for development players. However, it shouldn’t be surprising if Demidov secures one of the two positions.

Daniil Orlov – defenseman, 2003, Spartak

Even during the previous season, Daniil Orlov at times played for Spartak under the development rule. His debut stint in the KHL turned out to be so successful that he was recognized as the League’s best rookie of the third week of October (he stood out with assists in games against Salavat Yulaev and Admiral). However, he more frequently played in the VHL and JHL, even reaching the playoffs in both leagues. With Khimik, Orlov made it to the finals of the Petrov Cup, helping the team securing the title. All of this is impressive considering that just a year ago, he moved to the Moscow club from the Sakhalin Sharks of the JHL, where he had two notable seasons.

The defenseman with good size (187 cm / 83 kg) not only plays with dedication in defense but also skillfully operates on the offensive zone, joining the rush and finding open shooting lanes towards the net even in challenging situations. Currently, the Red-and-Whites have a good number of young talents, so the competition for a spot in the lineup promises to be fierce. However, among the defensemen, Daniil Orlov currently looks like a slight favorite for the development rule’s slot.

Timur Mukhanov – forward, 2005, Severstal

Participant in the summer trade between Avangard and Severstal that brought Igor Geraskin to Omsk, Timur Mukhanov possesses all the tools to become one of the breakout young players of the upcoming KHL season. The compact (174 cm / 76 kg) but incredibly agile forward with excellent hands and good skating is almost always noticeable on the ice in the offensive zone. Interestingly, he’s a rare example of a player who, at 17 years old, has played more often in pro hockey than in the JHL. In the 2022-2023 season, Mukhanov played 31 games for the VHL team, amassing 8 points (4 goals and 4 assists), and with the Omskie Yastreby, he reached the finals of the Kharlamov Cup.

Under the guidance of Andrei Kozyrev, the Cherepovets side is showcasing an interesting offensive style of play during the summer. Often (for now) without Mukhanov, who is two years away from reaching the JHL age limit. He still needs to earn a regular spot in the main lineup, so he won’t bypass playing for Almaz either. But if he manages to achieve this, Timur will undoubtedly catch the attention of the audience.

Daniil But – forward, 2005, Lokomotiv

In addition to Dmitry Simashev, another great talent born in 2005 within the Lokomotiv system is Daniil But. Interestingly, the forward gained some popularity even before appearing in the JHL. Back in 2016, Lokomotiv won the Gazprom Neft Cup for the first time in their history — the most prestigious youth hockey tournament in Russia. In the finals, Yaroslavl defeated Traktor, and But, arguably the standout player of the tournament, recorded a hat-trick. He did this in front of his father Anton But — a well-known player in the recent past (now part of the coaching staff of Lokomotiv).

In addition to numerous youth trophies (both individual and team), Daniil marked the beginning of his career in the JHL with a confident start — his 42 points in his debut season nearly doubled the previous record among 16-year-old players in Loko, set by Grigory Denisenko back in 2017. The following year, the forward got a handful of games in the KHL, albeit with limited ice time. But even that was enough for him to score two goals for his hometown team — he had tallies against Avangard in November and HC Sochi in February.

A leader by nature, a leader in the game — that’s how Daniil But can be briefly characterized. Nature has blessed him with an excellent frame (191 cm / 81 kg), which can also be considered an advantage. The only thing left is to fully utilize it, as his shot, technique, and understanding of the game are already at a high level. In the KHL, the Yaroslavl native could become a star in the near future.

Arseny Varlakov – defenseman, 2003, Torpedo

In the 2022 summer, Torpedo acquired defenseman Bogdan Konyushkov from the VHL, which seemed like a mystery to many fans. After just a few months, it became clear that the club made the right decision, and the player himself even contended for the Alexei Cherepanov Award. Now, the team is giving another chance to a blueliner who played in the VHL. Arseny Varlakov spent several years in the Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk system, and in early May, he became the first new addition to Torpedo during the offseason.

The 2022-2023 season was Varlakov’s first at the pro level. He played a total of 52 games for Yugra earning 15 points, including one goal in the playoffs (that goal helped secure a victory in one of the first-round series game). Holding a key role in one of the most respected VHL teams at the age of 19 is an excellent experience before starting a career in the KHL. Adaptation will take time in Nizhny Novgorod (as there is no stable place in the lineup yet), but from a gameplay perspective, Varlakov should fit in well. His ability to play in any situation, especially his mobility when joining attacks, is exactly what Torpedo needs.

Ivan Klimovich – forward, 2003, Sibir

In the KHL, it’s definitely not common for a young player to take on the role of the second-line center without much pro hockey experience. However, this is exactly the path taken by the eldest of the Klimovich brothers, Ivan. Last season, he had tremendous success with Sibir’s junior team in the JHL. His strong start to the regular season quickly established him as a leader for both the team and the entire league. In total, he scored 55 points in just 40 games (including playoff matches).

Perhaps Ivan isn’t the most technically gifted player on the list, but his size (188/79), ability to play as a center, and noticeable work ethic are his clear advantages that should help him transition to the pro hockey level. Often during the 2022-2023 season, he was listed in the roster for Sibir matches, but only took the ice on special occasions. Now, everything should change – with the departure of several experienced forwards, Klimovich gained the trust of the new head coach David Nemirovsky and is getting ice time on the second line (currently partnered with Vladimir Butuzov). Now, it’s all in the hands of the young player.

Other contenders for the prize could be goalies Sergey Murashov (Lokomotiv) and Semyon Viazovoi (Salavat Yulaev), defenseman Anton Silayev (Torpedo), and forwards Alexander Rykov (Traktor), Igor Chernyshov (Dynamo Moscow), Alexander Pashin and Yegor Chezganov (both Spartak), Dmitry Utkin (HC Sochi), Grigory Kuzmin and Kirill Tankov (both SKA).