A trio of reliable goalies and Dinamo Minsk’s leader Borikov. February top youngsters

Commentator for KHL TV channels and expert at KHL.ru, Anton Vasyatin, presents the top ten most prominent young players (U23) 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. Roman Kantserov, forward (2004, Metallurg)

Player’s rating: 2.14

Despite a difficult stretch at the start of the calendar year, Roman Kantserov remains the top goal scorer of the regular season. He has now 32 goals, three of which the forward scored in February (against Salavat Yulaev, Admiral, and Severstal). In six of eight games in February, Magnitka’s leader recorded points, also providing assists in games against Lada, Avtomobilist, and Amur. Kantserov registered at least one shot on goal in every game during the month (often more than one). He also blocked two opponent shots, delivered eight hits, and made four takeaways and five pass interceptions. The forward continues to skate on Metallurg’s first line, although head coach Andrey Razin has occasionally made adjustments to the line combinations. In terms of goals and total points in a single regular season among players under 22, Roman Kantserov has already surpassed the previous records set by Kirill Kaprizov and Alexander Nikishin, respectively.

9. Daniil Orlov, defenseman (2003, Spartak)

Player’s rating: 2.18

Right now, Daniil Orlov is having the best season among 22-year-old defensemen in Spartak’s KHL history. And it is not only about his overall production (already 26 points), but also about his overall influence on the team’s play. In February, Orlov played ten games, scoring spectacular goals against Lokomotiv and Dynamo Moscow, and also assisting teammates in games against Dynamo Minsk, Admiral, and Barys. With a final plus-1 rating for the month, the defenseman registered 24 shots on goal, blocked eighteen shots himself (six of them in the home game against Minsk — matching his personal record), delivered eight hits, and recorded four takeaways and one pass interception. He most often spends more than twenty minutes on the ice, even though he still does not always feature on the power play.

8. Prokhor Poltapov, forward (2003, CSKA)

Player’s rating: 2.31

Remarkably, Prokhor Poltapov did not score a single goal in February, yet he still made a significant contribution to his team. In nine games, the CSKA forward recorded six assists, including one on the game-winning goal against Spartak. His other assists came in games against SKA, HC Sochi, Neftekhimik, and Shanghai Dragons. Poltapov finished the month with a plus-2 rating, 19 shots on goal, 16 hits, five blocked shots, and one takeaway. He regularly takes the ice on the power play, creating scoring opportunities both for himself and for his teammates even in the most difficult situations.

7. Yegor Surin, forward (2006, Lokomotiv)

Player’s rating: 2.32

Following nine games in February, Yegor Surin collected seven points, all assists. The Lokomotiv forward helped his teammates score in games against HC Sochi, Spartak, Shanghai Dragons (two assists), SKA, as well as Dinamo Minsk and Dynamo Moscow. On two occasions, he contributed to his team’s game-winning goals. Even in games where he did not register points, Surin remained noticeable in the offensive zone, consistently creating scoring chances in different ways. In February, he also recorded 19 shots on goal, 15 hits, five takeaways, and four pass interceptions. The young forward remains Lokomotiv’s third-leading scorer, despite not ranking among the top six forwards in average ice time on the team.

6. Matvei Korotky, forward (2005, SKA)

Player’s rating: 2.41

Matvei Korotky missed almost three months due to a serious injury, but fortunately returned to action at the end of January and rediscovered his scoring touch in February. His first goal after returning came in Nizhnekamsk against Neftekhimik, when the Polyakov–Korotky–Khairullin line essentially decided the game, with the centerman recording 1+2. He then converted a penalty shot in Astana, which stood as the game-winning goal. Toward the end of the month, Korotky also scored against Admiral and Lokomotiv, striking on the power play. In total, Matvei played eleven games in February, collecting eight points. The SKA leader was consistently active offensively, registering 29 shots on goal while also playing a physical game with 24 hits.

5. Vadim Moroz, forward (2003, Dinamo Minsk)

Player’s rating: 2.51

Another player who missed part of the winter schedule due to injury was Vadim Moroz. In his case, the recovery did not take long, and by mid-February the Dinamo Minsk leader was back in the lineup.

In eight games during the month, the forward scored three goals, finding the net against Lokomotiv, Spartak, and HC Sochi. He also added three assists and finished February with a plus-3 differential. Moroz recorded thirteen hits, three blocked shots, and five takeaways. He threatened the opposition net in every game, registering fifteen shots on goal in total. In Dmitry Kvartalnov’s current Dinamo Minsk squad, Moroz has become an almost indispensable top-six forward and a regular member of one of the team’s power-play units.

4. Semyon Vyazovoi, goalie (2003, Salavat Yulaev)

Player’s rating: 2.99

In seven February games with Semyon Vyazovoi in goal, Salavat Yulaev secured five wins, including victories in regulation, overtime, and shootouts. Success came against Neftekhimik (the Ufa goalie stopped 35 shots), Metallurg (43), Traktor twice (24 and 27 saves, respectively), and Sibir (15). In Chelyabinsk, Vyazov recorded a shutout—his first on the road this season. Notably, his 43-save shootout win against the league leaders Metallurg matched the second-best performance of his young career.

3. Dmitry Gamzin, goalie (2003, CSKA)

Player’s rating: 3.15

Judging by his play, Dmitry Gamzin is set not only to make his KHL playoff debut but also to start the first round as CSKA’s starting netminder. In February, he played five games, securing four wins. He began with a shootout victory over SKA (29 saves), followed by a shutout against the Shanghai Dragons (26). His only defeat came against Lada, after which he added another shutout versus Neftekhimik and a come-from-behind win over the Dragons (entering in the first period with a 0:4 deficit). In the last three games, he stopped 15 shots each. Gamzin never allowed more than two goals in a match all month, finishing February with a .952 save percentage and a 1.04 goals-against average.

2. Sergei Ivanov, goalie (2004, SKA)

Player’s rating: 3.49

In February, Sergei Ivanov played only four games, but each came with a heavy workload. It started with an away shootout victory over Dinamo Minsk, where the SKA goalie made 45 saves—his season-high. A couple of weeks later, Ivanov recorded a shutout against Salavat Yulaev (35 saves) and followed it up with another shutout versus CSKA (29 saves). Only on February 26, in a game against Moscow’s Dinamo, did he concede four goals, though he still stopped 31 shots. Ivanov finished the month with a 1.71 goals-against average and a 95.2% save rate. Like Dmitry Gamzin of CSKA, he is expected to make his KHL playoff debut soon.

1. Yegor Borikov, forward (2005, Dinamo Minsk)

Player’s rating: 3.55

In February, Yegor Borikov played ten games for Dinamo Minsk, recording seven points. The young forward scored against Torpedo and tallied two goals each against Severstal and HC Sochi, including game-winners in even-strength situations. He also assisted Andrei Stas in the match against SKA and Vadim Shipachyov against Lada. Borikov finished every game with a positive differential, totaling plus-6 for the month. He registered 24 shots on goal, 29 hits, eight blocked shots, four pass interceptions, and one takeaway. At just 20, Borikov is already a key player for Dinamo Minsk in nearly every game scenario, a quality that will be crucial in the playoffs.