Best players of October

The Kontinental Hockey League’s commission has determined the best players of the Regular Season’s second month in four categories.

In October, the League’s teams played 120 games, with 611 players (50 goalies, 199 defensemen, and 362 forwards) taking part in the action. The scoring was at 4.88 goals per game.

- Best goalie for the first time in his career was Andrei Shutov (Barys), who posted five wins in seven October games. The Astana goalie faced 221 shots, or 31.6 per night, posting a save percentage of 94.57% and a goals-against average of 1.70. Shutov posted shutouts in Barys’ wins against Sibir (1-0) and Dinamo Minsk (1-0), and helped his team defeat Spartak 4–3 in a shootout. Shutov is the second Barys’ goalie to be awarded best goalie honors since Henrik Karlsson back in December 2018.

- Best defenseman for the first time in his career was Ioannis Kaldis (Severstal), who scored 10 (2+8) points in thirteen October games, with a plus-11 differential. The Cherepovets defenseman also delivered eleven hits, blocked 24 shots, made two pass interceptions and had three takeaways.

- Best forward for the first time in his career was Nathan Todd (Metallurg), who scored 12 (5+7) points in twelve October games, with a plus-7 differential. The Magnitogorsk forward netted the game-winning goal in Metallurg’s win over Avtomobilist on Oct. 31 (4:3). Todd also delivered three hits, blocked thirteen shots, made two pass interceptions and had seven takeaways.

- Best rookie for the first time in his career was 21-years-old forward Maxim Zagrebin (Salavat Yulaev), who scored 7 (3+4) points in eleven October games, with a plus-4 differential. The Ufa forward netted the game-winning goal in Salavat Yulaev’s win over Neftekhimik on Oct. 12 (4–3). Zagrebin also delivered three hits, blocked five shots, made four pass interceptions, and had one takeaway.