Eastern Europe Stock Watch: Nazar Privalov is already smashing MHL records
Following the 2024-25 season, there was a mass exodus of NHL affiliated prospects in Russia leaving for North America. Headlined by the likes of Ivan Demidov and Alexander Nikishin, there is now a scramble to determine who can step up and fill the gap that has been left open.
Another big change presented to the world of Russian hockey has been a financial struggle among multiple KHL clubs. From Vityaz folding to Roman Rotenberg saying goodbye to SKA St. Petersburg, star players and key veterans have been moved around at an unforeseen rate.
These factors have led to an enormous shift at all three levels of hockey. 12 first-time NHL Draft eligible prospects have already made their professional debuts and there has been a noticeable trend towards more youth being given chances at higher levels–making for a jam packed first rendition of the Russian Stock Watch for the 2025-26 season.
Stock Rising 📈
Nazar Privalov, C/RW, Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (2027 NHL Draft)
One of the most anticipated debutantes in the MHL season, 15-year-old Nazar Privalov has been anything but disappointing. Through the first eight games of the season, he has accumulated nine goals–becoming both the fifth-youngest hat trick scorer in MHL history, as well as, the quickest and youngest player to score two hat tricks. His 12 points so far tie him for sixth place in the scoring race.
From his September 24th game against Amurskie Tigry:
“To put it simply, Privalov has become a serious problem. Two hard-nosed drives to the net for his even-strength goals and a finish on a squared pass on the power play. He blends skill, size, and sense at such a high level, putting him on a path to become a dangerous driver of play. He's raw, so it's not all highs, but boy is he dominant regardless. He's a physical monster with tremendous upside as he learns how to utilize his frame even better. Could be a top-10 prospect for next year.”
The 6-foot-4 wonder kid needed little time to adjust to his new environment. After a short break with the U17 nation team amidst MHL preseason, he never slowed down and carried that momentum into his rookie year. The one big change has been his move from centre to wing, though, it has given him the opportunity to play on Krasnaya Armiya’s second line. With outrageous skill, high-end playmaking, a powerful shot, and physical dominance, Privalov has quickly established himself as a weapon of mass destruction.
Yegor Surin, C, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (Nashville Predators)
One of the best stories of Lokomotiv’s 2025 Gagarin Cup victory was the chemistry formed between a veteran mentor Alexander Radulov and emerging star Yegor Surin. Along with Georgi Ivanov, this forward trio has yet to slow down and Nashville’s former first-round pick has caught the attention of the KHL.
So far this season, Surin has kept pace with Radulov, with both players finishing September with seven goals in ten games—though Radulov’s one additional assist makes him Lokomotiv’s top producer. Surin’s high motor and aggressiveness have translated excellently into the KHL. A player who fights for possessions, forces defensive movement, and finds himself in opportune situations to rack up points, it’s easy to see why he’s thriving on a championship-calibre roster.
There still are limitations to his game that could hinder his NHL prospects. He still has the habit of getting lost in his own world and playing too individualistic, while also not having standout puck skills. However, a middle-six projection is still the most likely outcome. Surin’s off-puck game will be what gets him to Nashville and any production on top of that will be icing on the cake.
Nikita Shcherbakov, D, Salavat Yulaev Ufa (2026 NHL Draft)
Although it's still early in the year and far from the time when a consensus on the 2026 Draft will emerge, Nikita Shcherbakov’s No. 21 spot on the preliminary Elite Prospects rankings reflects our early confidence in his potential.
It has been anything but a hot start for Salavat Yulaev Ufa as a whole. With financial struggles leading to the books needing to be cleared, they’ve started the season with just one win in eight games and the second-worst goal differential in the league. The silver lining? More chances for the kids. Shcherbakov has been reaping the benefits more than any other player in the Ufa system, playing in seven of eight games and is yet to be moved off of the roster.
At 17, the 6-foot-5 defenceman isn’t just keeping his head above water, he’s thriving. With high-end defensive details, NHL-calibre mobility, and the physical tools to pull it all together, Shcherbakov looks like an easy projection into the NHL. So far, he’s yet to show too much of the puck-moving skills he displayed in the MHL, but he’s a competent breakout driver with room to grow as he gets more used to his size. If all goes well, that ranking could very well drop into the low teens.
Honourable Mentions: Vladimir Shtyrkhunov (2027 NHL Draft), Andrei Pustovoy (2027 NHL Draft), Yegor Zavragin (Philadelphia Flyers), Matvei Korotky (St. Louis Blues)
Stock Steady ↔️
Alexander Ivanov, D, Bars Kazan (2026 NHL Draft)
Sticking with draft-eligible defencemen cementing themselves in professional environments, Alexander Ivanov has settled in as a top-four talent for Bars Kazan in the VHL. With assiduous performances in each and every preseason game he played, Ivanov seems to have quickly earned the trust of his coaches to be playing high workload minutes.
The grade that will cement itself above the rest come the season’s end will be his hockey sense. Without the puck, he demonstrates high level play reading, defensive positioning, and crack sealing. That last point shines the brightest compared to others in his age group, spotting lapses in coverage and proactively moving himself into a position to lock that space up. In possession, he’s a reliable transition driver with flashes of skill when the time is right.
What keeps him in the “steady” section of this piece is a questionable runway for offensive upside. His best runs of production as a student came when playing against older players, but he hit a wall when entering the MHL last season, finishing with just three points in 36 games. Ten games into his VHL career, Ivanov is yet to even come close to registering his first point of the season. Production isn’t the end-all-be-all, but for a player who looks like a second-round prospect, it makes it difficult for him to leapfrog over others.
Stock Falling 📉
Timur Mukhanov, LW, Severstal Cherepovets (Carolina Hurricanes)
There have been quite a few puzzling re-assignments over the first few weeks of the Russian hockey season, but the one that stood out as most expected may have been Timur Mukhanov’s two game return to the MHL.
When discussing prospect pool rankings this off-season, we had to question how much time we still have for the undersized winger. His production and usage were both low last season, but the overall results continued to trend upward. With a bottom-six projection, the points are not a top priority–in fact, the 13 points he had last season as a fourth liner and 13th forward could be considered a strong output–but a D+3 potentially falling out of favour with his KHL club is exceedingly worrying.
Nikita Artamonov, LW/RW, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (Carolina Hurricanes)
This has been a painful start to the season for Nikita Artamonov fans. It didn’t take long for the questions to start getting asked. Days before the start of the regular season, the winger was assigned to Torpedo-Gorky in the VHL–a statement move from management after they were displeased by his training camp.
After playing the season opener with the defending Russian champions, he re-joined the main club to play their second game against SKA. After his third KHL game and nothing to show for it, Artamonov was left off the roster and moved back to the VHL for another one-game sentence. Now, the leading scorer from Torpedo’s 2024-25 campaign is struggling to crack ten minutes of ice time a game and has just one assist in six games.
The fluctuating usage actually isn’t a new thing to this season. His up-and-down ice time last year was questioned, but validated by a need for physical growth to maintain his style of hockey. However, the clear difference in year-to-year production is undeniably worrying to start the season. Ironically, it was his opening game against SKA that was his best display of playmaking thus far, while the game from September 27th against Neftekhimik showed flashes of how he can use his speed for offence.
Ranked No. 65 on the Elite Prospects Top-100 NHL Affiliated Prospects list entering the season, Artamonov needs to pick up the pace. A good performance every five games isn’t going to cut it.
Ilya Fedotov, LW, Salavat Yulaev Ufa (Utah Mammoth)
Ilya Fedotov ended his 2024-25 season early by breaking his contract with Sochi when they decided to send him down to their VHL affiliate. This made two things abundantly clear: one, he believes he deserves full-time minutes in the KHL; and two, this would be a make-or-break season with Salavat Yulaev Ufa.
As mentioned earlier, Ufa has refreshed their roster to shed salary, so a low-risk investment in Fedotov was an easy addition to improve forward depth. After six games, the former second-round pick is yet to get on the score sheet and saw a season low of ice time against Omsk on September 27th. Arizona were likely drawn heavily to his handling skill when making the call at 43rd overall in 2021 and, while the hands still show up, his speed and compete level have proven to be problem areas at the KHL level.