Season preview: Severstal. The league’s most entertaining and most predictable team

In its traditional season-preview series, KHL.ru looks at how teams are shaping up ahead of the new campaign. Severstal has two defining characteristics, and they are likely to remain unchanged this year.

Last season

In recent years, Severstal has been one of the most entertaining teams in the KHL, and at the same time, one of the most predictable. Perhaps even the most predictable, if excluding the perennial bottom-dwellers. Unfortunately for the Cherepovets side, that predictability comes with a negative connotation: no matter how well they perform in the regular season, they consistently stumble in the very first round of the playoffs—and, as they say, without much of a chance.

Severstal’s entertaining style is built on high-speed, attacking hockey—both in terms of the players’ skating and the movement of the puck. At the same time, the Cherepovets side almost completely avoids physical play and rarely deviates from its game plan, even when a particular situation or opponent might call for it. These two factors are often seen as the reason behind the team’s lack of playoff success, but the reality is only partly that simple.

The problem is that success and failure are abstract, relative concepts. The exact same result can represent a tremendous achievement for one team and a complete failure for another; in most cases, success is measured against the circumstances in which a team operates. But that logic somehow doesn’t apply to Severstal. The Cherepovets side has, in a way, become a victim of its own entertaining hockey: watching them play, many people forget that Severstal’s resources are considerably more limited than those of the vast majority of KHL teams. And forgetting that, they expect the Steelers to have to win in the playoffs. But they don’t owe anyone anything. For three straight years, they have already punched well above their weight over the course of the 68-game marathon. Their playoff performances, meanwhile, have been roughly what one might expect once you look past the entertaining style of play and remember the circumstances they operate in.

That said, this spring the Steelers may not have been expected to advance, but they certainly had a chance. After finishing third in the Western Conference, just two points behind second place, they entered the Gagarin Cup playoffs with home-ice advantage for the first time in KHL history. At least in the opening round, that made them the favorites in their matchup. They had also beaten Torpedo three times in four meetings during the regular season.

The thing is, Nizhny Novgorod had also drawn a beatable opponent instead of an overwhelming favorite for only the second time in its history, and for the first time since 2012. Both Torpedo and Severstal therefore had their best chance in years to get past the first round, and in a battle of character, the team that wanted it more came out on top.

The series began with the teams trading convincing victories, 4:1 and 4:0, before turning into precisely that kind of battle. In Game Three, Severstal trailed 1:2 and, with less than two minutes remaining, conceded another goal instead of mounting a late push. In Game Four, they led 2:0 until almost the same point in the game, conceded twice, and eventually lost in OT. In Game Five, they opened the scoring but couldn’t hold onto their lead. This time, they scored themselves in the final two minutes, but by then they were already trailing 2:4.

It’s impossible to draw one clear conclusion from last season. Yes, another first-round exit, especially after earning the third seed, was a disappointment. But considering Severstal’s budget, simply reaching the playoffs is a respectable result, while doing so as the third seed is unquestionably a major success. Which of those two perspectives is closer to the truth is for everyone to decide for themselves.

Recruitment

Looking at the number of departures and arrivals, there is perfect balance: two defensemen and five forwards have left, with exactly the same number coming in. That includes Kirill Tankov, who spent last season with Severstal on loan and has now completed a permanent move. In terms of quality, however, the Cherepovets side’s losses this summer outweigh their additions by a considerable margin.

Departures: 

Defensemen: Grigory Vashchenko (Admiral), Nikita Kamalov (Torpedo). Forwards: Danil Aimurzin (SKA, trade), Alexander Zhabreyev (Izhstal, VHL), Mikhail Ilyin (Pittsburgh, NHL), Vladislav Tsitsyura (Admiral, trade), Nikolai Chebykin (SKA).

Arrivals: 

Defensemen: Maxim Gusev (SKA, trade), Alexei Kozhevnikov (Lokomotiv, trade). Forwards Nikita Artamonov (Avtomobilist, loan), Yegor Graf (SKA, trade), Semyon Kizimov (Avtomobilist, trade), Kirill Tankov (Avangard, trade), Denis Yan (Salavat Yulaev).

Top 3 signings

It’s difficult to identify Severstal’s most significant newcomers. Excluding Kirill Tankov, who already played for the team last season, there aren’t many of them to begin with, and more than half have limited KHL experience or no experience at all. Denis Yan is the most experienced, with 247 games for Torpedo and Salavat Yulaev. Yan knows Andrei Kozyrev well from their time together at Torpedo, and his rookie season, when he scored 19 goals and added 26 assists, remains the most productive of his career. Although Denis has not surpassed 45 points since then, that is far from the limit of his potential. Around 15 years ago, he was a highly exciting forward in CSKA’s youth system among players born in 1997—exactly the kind of player suited to Kozyrev’s current system. There is therefore a good chance that he can rediscover himself at Severstal, at least in terms of his professional career.

Nikita Artamonov also arrived at Torpedo during Kozyrev’s time with the club, but played just two minutes for the senior team before flourishing after Andrei Leonidovich left Nizhny Novgorod for Cherepovets. His 2024-2025 season was phenomenal: 22 goals and 17 assists at the age of 18. Last season, however, was a clear disappointment, both at Torpedo, where he recorded 1 point (0+1) in 16 games, and at Neftekhimik, where he was loaned and posted 9 (3+6) points in 42 appearances. Nikita was traded to Avtomobilist this summer and has now been loaned to Severstal. Comparing the two versions of Artamonov, the one from last season and the one from the year before, it seems more likely that the latter represents his true level, while last year’s struggles were the exception rather than the rule.

Like Yan and Artamonov, Semyon Kizimov also began his KHL career at Torpedo, although that is simply a coincidence, as it happened before Kozyrev’s arrival. Like Artamonov, he joined Severstal from Avtomobilist, but via a trade rather than on loan. Semyon has consistently recorded 28 points in each of the past two seasons, and there is still plenty of room for further growth.

Coaching

Severstal’s recurring first-round playoff exits are often blamed on Andrei Kozyrev, falling into exactly the same cognitive trap as the inflated expectations surrounding Severstal as a whole. That is hardly surprising, since this is perhaps the clearest example of a coach’s team. So let’s say it once again: given its starting conditions, Kozyrev’s Severstal is nowhere near being a favorite. The Cherepovets side manages to punch above its weight in the regular season but falls short in the playoffs. The former is extraordinary, while the latter is perfectly normal relative to expectations. Yet the extraordinary regular-season performances create an artificially high bar, making a normal outcome look almost like a failure. At the very least, that is unfair.

The other question is why they succeed in the regular season but not in the playoffs. The answer is simple and obvious: they are, as they say, two different sports. As mentioned above, Severstal is not flexible or physical enough for playoff hockey. Just as importantly, the team lacks experience. It was the youngest team in the league last season, with just one player over the age of 30, and even he played only a minor role.

Improving the team’s playoff results therefore requires changes in personnel, tactics, and strategy. All three are theoretically possible. But would that still be Kozyrev’s Severstal? And would such a team still be able to succeed in the regular season?

Goalies

The tandem of Alexander Samoilov and Vsevolod Skotnikov can be considered average. It is far from the most impressive in the League, but it is hardly among the weakest either. Both Alexander and, especially, Vsevolod need to become more consistent if they are to take the next step.

Defense

Over the entire regular season, Severstal players recorded just 423 hits, an average of 6.22 per game. The only team below them in this category, Magnitogorsk, nearly doubled that total, while the leaders, Yaroslavl, had more than four times as many. Severstal’s biggest hitter was Nikita Kamalov, who will now play for Torpedo. The Cherepovets side also lost its only player over 30, Grigory Vashchenko, who moved to Admiral.

Keeping Ioannis Kaldis and Thomas Gregoire is certainly a positive, but Severstal could still use more muscle and experience on the blue line. That could also help the goalies become more consistent.

Offense

One of the most exciting lines not only on Severstal but in the entire KHL over the past three years broke up during last season, when Kirill Pilipenko was traded to Avangard. Now, there is nothing left of that line: Mikhail Ilyin has headed overseas, while Danil Aimurzin has joined SKA.

Had this happened a year ago, it could have been considered a catastrophe. Now, while the situation is certainly unpleasant for the Cherepovets side, it is not quite as dramatic. Pilipenko wasn’t traded for no reason, after all, but against the backdrop of a very sharp decline in his performance. It’s difficult to determine whether that decline was caused by or led to his deteriorating relationship with Kozyrev, but that’s beside the point. Aimurzin’s production also declined, albeit not as dramatically.

On the other hand, Ruslan Abrosimov improved significantly, both statistically and in terms of his overall play. Alexander Skorenov and Nikolai Chebykin made progress to a lesser extent, while Adam Liska maintained his usual level and Ilya Ivantsov bounced back after a disappointing 2024-2025 season.

Overall, Severstal’s offense is far from depleted. It has certainly become weaker without Ilyin and Aimurzin, though.

Youngsters

For Aimurzin, Severstal received two young players from SKA’s system: 19-year-old defenseman Maxim Gusev (he turns 20 in October) and 20-year-old center Yegor Graf. Neither has played in the KHL yet, and both have a good chance not only to make their League debuts but to immediately establish themselves in the lineup, and not merely as a seventh defenseman or 13th forward.

Gusev is an excellent all-around defenseman. With SKA-1946, he averaged more than 20 minutes per game and led the team in both scoring among defensemen and blocked shots, with a considerable margin over the nearest challengers in both categories. Graf also logged plenty of ice time, averaging more than 18 minutes per game, and formally finished as SKA-1946’s fourth-leading scorer. However, he missed almost half of the regular season and led the team in points per game, averaging 1.11 (16+26 in 38 games).

Severstal can also count on further progress from Makar Fomin, Ilya Kvochko, and Daniil Kazulayev, as well as a comeback from Artamonov, who turns 21 in November.

Expectations

Objectively speaking, Severstal’s third-place finish in the West last season was not entirely down to the team itself. It was also the result of circumstances that saw Dynamo Moscow, SKA, and CSKA all underperform simultaneously. The Cherepovets side certainly deserves credit for making the most of those circumstances, for example, Torpedo failed to do so, although they got their reward in the playoffs.

Nevertheless, a repeat of last year’s situation is statistically unlikely, and without the "help" of three favorites performing below expectations, Severstal is unlikely to finish that high again. Especially considering that the roster has been weakened.

A battle for sixth place is a more realistic expectation, and there’s no guarantee the Cherepovets side will win that battle. They are unlikely to drop below eighth, though. And they are unlikely to make it past the first round—again.