Barys’ dominating youth and Nechayev’s breakout. September top youngsters

Commentator for KHL TV channels and expert at KHL.ru, Anton Vasyatin, presents the top ten most prominent young U23 players (born 2004-2009) in the league based on their performance in the first 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. Nikita Yevseyev, defenseman (2004, Ak Bars)

Player’s rating: 2.13

Having gained valuable experience last season while on loan with Amur, Nikita Yevseyev returned to Kazan. With Ak Bars losing several defensemen during the offseason, namely Yegor Karpukhin, Yegor Luchevnikov, and Stepan Falkovsky, it became clear that Yevseyev would get his chance with the revamped team. So far, the young defenseman has handled his role well. Averaging around 14 minutes of ice time per game, which is in line with a third-pairing defenseman (he plays alongside Albert Yarullin), Yevseyev led Ak Bars in differential (plus-6) in September. He contributed to three of his team’s goals, recording assists against Salavat Yulaev, HC Sochi, and Barys. He also delivered eight hits and blocked twelve shots from opposing players.

9. Alexander Zharovsky, forward (2007, Salavat Yulaev)

Player’s rating: 2.15

The 2025-2026 season’s Rookie of the Year has continued to showcase his skills at the start of the new campaign. Remarkably, Zharovsky is currently only ninth among Salavat Yulaev players in average ice time, at just over 13 minutes per game. That has not stopped him from becoming one of the team’s top scorers, though. In ten September games, Zharovsky scored in Astana and assisted on five more goals. He also has seven takeaways, an impressive total given his limited ice time. Considering that the forward missed almost all of September last year due to injury, he now has a chance to set a new personal scoring record after collecting 42 points last term.

8. Matvei Korotky, forward (2005, SKA)

Player’s rating: 2.23

SKA underwent significant changes over the summer, with the roster clearly becoming more talented. Despite that, young center Matvei Korotky has maintained his usual level of effectiveness, even while playing slightly fewer minutes than he did last season. In eight September games, Korotky recorded six points, scoring against Lada and Traktor. His OT goal against Lada gave SKA its first win of the current campaign. He converted 18% of his shots, while also delivering eight hits, blocking seven shots, and making two takeaways. Korotky is a key player for SKA despite being the youngest member of the team. He takes the ice in all situations and finds different ways to contribute to the St. Petersburg franchise.

7. Yegor Solovyov, forward (2005, Shanghai Dragons)

Player’s rating: 2.33

Several years ago, Yegor Solovyov made a brilliant KHL debut, scoring the game-winning goal with his very first shot in a road game against Metallurg. He was unable to establish himself in the CSKA lineup afterward, but now, on loan, he has become an important part of the revamped Shanghai Dragons. In eight games during the opening month of the season, the forward scored against Neftekhimik and Dinamo Minsk, with his goal against the Belarusians proving to be the game-winner. He also added five assists and recorded at least one point in six of his eight appearances. Solovyov converted 18% of his shots, while also registering six hits, one blocked shot, one takeaway, and one pass interception. Despite averaging less than twelve minutes of ice time per game, the forward has been a regular presence on the power play.

6. Kirill Lyapunov, forward (2005, Barys)

Player’s rating: 2.50

Kirill Lyapunov made his KHL debut with Barys back in the 2024-2025 season and played around twenty games in the following campaign. Now, however, he appears to have established himself as a full-time member of the team’s forward group. In ten September games, Lyapunov recorded five points, including a goal against Salavat Yulaev in a high-scoring game at the start of the season. During the entire month, Barys conceded just once at even strength with Lyapunov on the ice, and he finished September with an impressive plus-10 rating, the best mark in the entire league. He averaged around eleven minutes of ice time per game. Lyapunov does not currently see time on either the power play or penalty kill, but that does not make him any less valuable. If anything, it highlights just how productive he has been with the opportunities he has received.

5. Sergei Ivanov, goalie (2004, SKA)

Player’s rating: 2.61

SKA’s Sergei Ivanov was the best young netminder in September by most statistical measures. In his first game of the season, Ivanov backstopped SKA to a home win over Lada, making 24 saves while allowing just one goal. He followed that up by shutting out HC Sochi on the road with an impressive 33-save performance, before helping SKA claim two points in Chelyabinsk by stopping 39 of 42 shots against Traktor. His only difficult outing came against CSKA late in the month, when both teams enjoyed an extraordinary conversion rate. Ivanov made 23 saves, but allowed six goals. Overall, he stopped 92.2% of the shots he faced in September and posted a 2.51 goals-against average.

4. Yegor Surin

Player’s rating: 2.87

The defending champions opened the season without key wingers Maxim Beryozkin and Artur Kayumov due to injuries. However, the absences have not proved disastrous for Lokomotiv, also thanks to Yegor Surin’s excellent start to the campaign. Surin opened the season with a five-game scoring streak and also found the net in four straight games, scoring against Traktor, the Shanghai Dragons, Severstal, and CSKA. His goals against Cherepovets and CSKA came in hard-fought games and proved to be game-winners. Surin has also maintained his trademark aggressive style without the puck, delivering 23 hits in eleven games. With his goals, physicality, forechecking, and emotional play, the young forward has played a major role in helping Lokomotiv maintain an impressive level of consistency. 

3. Igor Nechayev, forward (2006, Metallurg)

Player’s rating: 3.13 

The opening stretch of the current regular season has been the brightest period of Igor Nechayev’s KHL career so far. After putting together several solid performances last season, he is now steadily establishing himself as one of Metallurg’s key players. Nechayev appeared in eight September games, scoring three goals at even strength against Avangard, Neftekhimik, and Salavat Yulaev, while also adding four helpers. He finished the month with a plus-6 rating and an outstanding 30% shooting percentage. He also blocked eleven shots, recorded four takeaways and three interceptions, while contributing on both the power play and penalty kill. The progress of the young Metallurg academy product has been impressive. 

2. Semyon Simonov, forward (2005, Barys)

Player’s rating: 3.55 

Barys’ Semyon Simonov was the second-highest-scoring player among those under 23 in September, recording nine points in ten games. The young players on Mikhail Kravets’ team are making the most of their opportunities, regularly making an impact each time they take the ice. Simonov scored against Sibir, Lada, Lokomotiv, Neftekhimik, and SKA during the opening month of the season, with all but one of his goals coming at even strength. He also added four assists, four hits, three blocked shots, one takeaway, and six pass interceptions.

Simonov still trails Barys’ foreign forwards in ice time, averaging 14 minutes per game, including around two minutes on the power play. However, he is already making a significant contribution to the team’s offensive game. 

1. Vsevolod Logvin, forward (2004, Barys)

Player’s rating: 3.85 

Vsevolod Logvin’s ten points in as many September games were the best scoring total among all young players. His story is much the same as Semyon Simonov’s: the forward gets fewer opportunities than Barys’ international players, but is already producing at their level in the offensive zone. Logvin scored four goals to start the season, finding the net against Sibir before scoring twice against SKA and capping the month with a spectacular goal in Kazan. He finished with a plus-8 differential and a shooting percentage of over 14%. Logvin also frequently takes shifts at center, where he won nearly 52% of his faceoffs, one of the best marks on the team. He also recorded six hits, seven blocked shots, one takeaway, and four pass interceptions. At this point, Logvin looks like more than just a promising young player — he is already emerging as a genuine leader for Barys, with his line providing a consistent offensive threat.