Zharovsky and Kantserov leading the way. December top youngsters

Commentator for KHL TV channels and expert at KHL.ru, Anton Vasyatin, presents the top ten most prominent players in the U23 category (born 2003-2008) in the league based on their performance in the third month of the regular season.

The list is compiled based on the Player Ratings, which the League calculates using an extensive set of statistical metrics.

10. Semyon Vyazovoi, G (2003, Salavat Yulaev)

Player’s rating: 2.36

In December, Salavat Yulaev played 11 games, with Semyon Vyazovoi starting in goal in each of them. Largely thanks to this workload, the Ufa netminder set a personal best for appearances in a regular season (now up to 29), a total that will continue to grow with every subsequent game. Over the course of December, Vyazovoi recorded five wins with the team, two of which came in shootouts (against CSKA and Severstal). He did not allow more than three goals in any of those games. His season-high in saves came at home against Severstal on December 28, when Vyazovoi turned aside 45 shots while conceding just once.

9. Yaroslav Busygin, D (2003, Avtomobilist)

Player’s rating: 2.39

Over the course of the final month of 2025, Yaroslav Busygin appeared in seven games, missing only the matchup against Admiral in December. The Avtomobilist defenseman dished out four assists — one each against Metallurg and Severstal, and two in the game versus Lada (his first multi-point game for Avtomobilist and the second of his career). He averaged just over 17 minutes of ice time per game and totaled four takeaways, one pass interception, ten blocked shots and three hits. He also wrapped up the month with a plus-5 rating, as the Yekaterinburg side conceded very little at even strength with Busygin on the ice in December. Following his summer move to a higher-profile club, the young defenseman has continued to progress despite stiff competition for places.

8. Matvei Polyakov, F (2004, SKA)

Player’s rating: 2.68

December proved to be the best month of Matvei Polyakov’s career, not only in the KHL but in senior hockey overall. Typically deployed on SKA’s fourth line, he averages just over ten minutes per game with almost no power-play time, yet continues to score consistently. In December, the forward posted seven points in ten games, scoring five goals — against Amur, Ak Bars, Dinamo Minsk (the game-winner) and HC Sochi, where he recorded his first KHL brace. He registered 26 shots on goal, seven hits, three blocked shots, three takeaways and two pass interceptions. A very fast skater, Polyakov also sees time on the penalty kill and has integrated well into Igor Larionov’s system. Thanks to his December scoring surge, he has emerged as one of the leading candidates for the KHL rookie goal-scoring title.

7. Sergei Ivanov, G (2004, SKA)

Player’s rating: 2.80

Even by the end of 2025, it remains difficult to predict who will be SKA’s starting goaltender for the decisive part of the season. One thing is certain, though — Sergei Ivanov had a strong December. The goalie appeared in four games, with St. Petersburg recording regulation wins over Dinamo Minsk and Ak Bars, an overtime victory against Amur, and suffering only a shootout loss in the return game on the ice in Khabarovsk (which was officially a home game for SKA). In every outing, Ivanov posted a save percentage of at least .935, with his highest save total coming in the second game against Amur (44). His goals-against average in December stood at 1.69.

6. Yegor Vinogradov, F (2003, Torpedo)

Player’s rating: 2.97

Over eight games in December, Torpedo’s leader Yegor Vinogradov recorded seven points, coming in games against CSKA, the Shanghai Dragons, Neftekhimik and HC Sochi. Coincidentally or not, those were the games the Nizhny Novgorod side won, while Torpedo lost all of its other matches that month.

Beyond his solid production, Vinogradov continued to play an aggressive game, delivering fourteen hits, blocking five shots, registering one takeaway and three pass interceptions. He finished the month at plus-4 and fired 28 shots on goal, converting two of them — against the Dragons (short-handed) and HC Sochi. As before, he remains a regular contributor not only at five-on-five but also in special-teams situations.

5. Prokhor Poltapov, F (2003, CSKA)

Player’s rating: 2.99

Toward the end of the calendar year, CSKA began to collect points consistently — something the team had clearly been lacking earlier in the season. Prokhor Poltapov played a significant role in that turnaround. He is often deployed alongside his regular linemates, Maxim Sorkin and Vitaly Abramov, with the trio showing excellent chemistry. Poltapov scored in December games against Salavat Yulaev, Traktor, Lada, Lokomotiv and Dynamo Moscow. Three of his five goals proved to be game-winners for CSKA. The young forward recorded a shot on goal in almost every game during the month, converting roughly 30% of his attempts. He also blocked nine opposing shots, added two pass interceptions, three takeaways and delivered 21 hits. It is now difficult to imagine Igor Nikitin’s power play without Poltapov.

4. Dmitry Gamzin, G (2003, CSKA)

Player’s rating: 3.17

Another key CSKA player born in 2003 is goaltender Dmitry Gamzin. He is on the verge of setting a personal record for appearances in a KHL regular season, with the next game set to establish a new high. In December, Gamzin took the ice seven times, with CSKA posting four wins and three losses beyond regulation – in other words, CSKA has collected points in every game he has started. He did not allow more than two goals in any December outing and recorded a shutout against Dynamo Moscow on Dec. 21. The goaltender finished the month with a .947 save percentage, which also had a positive impact on the Moscow club’s results.

3. Arseny Koromyslov, D (2003, Traktor)

Player’s rating: 3.21

Another player who set a personal scoring high thanks to a strong December is Arseny Koromyslov. Over nine games during the month, the Traktor skater recorded one goal and five assists, bringing his season total to 14 points — one more than he produced over the entire previous regular season. From Dec. 3 to 19, Koromyslov put together a four-game scoring streak, first scoring against Ak Bars and then adding assists versus CSKA (two helpers), Dynamo Moscow and Metallurg. In the final game of the calendar year (again against Metallurg), he was involved in another Traktor goal. In December, he blocked thirteen shots, recorded two takeaways and three pass interceptions, and delivered eleven hits. He finished the month with a plus-6 differential, with the team scoring at even strength in nearly every game with him on the ice.

2. Alexander Zharovsky, F (2007, Salavat Yulaev)

Player’s rating: 3.60

After a relatively quiet November, Alexander Zharovsky returned to his usual pace in December. Over eleven games during the month, the Salavat Yulaev leader recorded as many points points. Four of those were goals, scored against CSKA, Severstal and Amur. His marker in the return game against the Khabarovsk side proved to be the game-winner, and on that day the forward posted a three-point performance for just the second time in his career. Throughout the month, Zharovsky played with different linemates, alternating between wing and center. He registered at least one shot on goal in every December game and set a personal single-game high with seven shots on Dec. 3 against the Shanghai Dragons. Zharovsky is now the undisputed leader of Salavat Yulaev and is closing in on the all-time KHL scoring record among 18-year-old players.

1. Roman Kantserov, F (2004, Metallurg)

Player’s rating: 3.74

Roman Kantserov’s current season has been such a breakthrough that, with 26 goals, he has already moved into the top five goal-scorers under the age of 22 in a single KHL regular season. To surpass Kirill Kaprizov’s record, he needs nine more goals — a target that doesn’t seem unrealistic. December was particularly productive for the Metallurg forward, who posted ten points across six games. Kantserov scored against Avtomobilist, Traktor (three goals over two games) and Neftekhimik. Three of his goals came at even strength, with two more on the power play. Late in the year, the Magnitogorsk native recorded four points (2+2) in a rivalry game against Traktor, the most productive outing of his career. In some games, Kantserov logged over twenty minutes of ice time, contributing on both the power play and penalty kill. Overall, he fired 28 shots on goal (averaging more than 4.5 per game), delivered nine hits, blocked three shots, recorded four takeaways, and made three pass interceptions. At present, he is the true engine of the team, generating a high volume of scoring chances.