The Montreal Canadiens will be holding their annual development camp in July, one week after the NHL Entry Draft is completed. There, they will provide guidance to their young prospects; however, this summer, a 22-year-old will be attending, Bogdan Konyushkov. The promising young defenceman is known for his poise and strong two-way play. Currently playing for Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), he has been one of their key contributors on defence.
Related: Montreal Canadiens’ Ivan Demidov Can Win the 2026 Calder Trophy
Now, with very little time left to rest after his season has ended only recently, he is heading to Montreal for the Canadiens’ development camp in July. This is abnormal as KHL players normally do not participate in these types of camps. But, his development has drawn attention and has likely led to general manager (GM) Kent Hughes pushing for his arrival, even for just a short development camp which can help to assess the player and judge where he belongs on the overall depth chart, maybe high enough to make other prospects expendable to trade for a missing piece.
Attending Canadiens’ Camp
The Canadiens’ prospect recently signed a three-year KHL contract with Torpedo that will expire after the 2025-26 season. He will be just shy of his 24th birthday if he signs his entry-level contract (ELC) at that time, so he can attend his first full Montreal training camp in the fall of 2026. Konyushkov’s season has just ended. After his KHL club was swept in the first round, he joined the club’s farm club for the Supreme Hockey League (VHL) playoffs. Once there, he led the club to the Petrov Cup, the Russian equivalent of the Calder Cup in the American Hockey League (AHL). In that run, he played 17 games, recording 13 points (three goals and 10 assists) and did so as the top pairing anchor on the blue line.
Bogdan Konyushkov seen in action during the The KHL All-Star Game (Photo by Maksim Konstantinov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
In an interview with RG.org, he shared that he has maintained contact with the Canadiens during the season, but can’t speak to how closely Montreal followed his performance in the VHL.
“I don’t know if they watched or not; nobody congratulated me on the Сup. I think they know what kind of player I am. We only communicate on practical on-ice stuff. I’m just waiting for tickets to find out when and where I’ll fly.”
– Bogdan Konyushkov
Montreal’s management group were far more focused this season on Ivan Demidov than they were on Konyushkov. However, he will likely become the focus of their gaze in regard to Russian prospects as he is a 23-minute-per-night KHL defenceman and has already established himself as a professional. He was the first KHL player to have 30 minutes or more of ice time in a single game this season.
The Next Top Russian Prospect
Konyushkov is a mobile, two-way defender who isn’t afraid of physical play, but he excels along the boards, where his positioning and preplanned stick positioning make him a puck-protection threat. He’s a smart playmaker as well, completing long-distance, accurate passes which help make him a transitional threat. He doesn’t project as a point producer, but as a solid, puck-moving defender who can fill into a second pair and reliably play on a third pairing.
At least one Habs prospect in the KHL
seems to be be appreciated by his coach.
Here’s Bogdan Konyushkov’s goal for Torpedo today in a 4-3 OT win 🔥 pic.twitter.com/J2lU7oKlyn
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) September 12, 2024
It’s clear that the staff with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod trust the 22-year-old and have since his rookie season. He has usually filled in with top-four pairing duties at five-on-five, also he has regularly played on the penalty kill (PK) and power play (PP). He regularly plays more than 23 minutes a game. That being said, Konyushkov isn’t satisfied with his season, stating that “My stats could be better, like they were last year and the year before. I don’t know why they’re not as good this year; maybe my finishing isn’t good. Sometimes, I create chances, but my teammates don’t finish them, but it’s okay. The most important thing for me is always making sure the team wins. Personal results will come sooner or later, but team victories are my priority.”
Konyushkov has that team-first mindset all head coaches want from their players. It’s easy for a young player to focus on himself and what management decisions affect him alone, but it takes a mature young man to realize that it isn’t about him, but about the team. His KHL club had named him captain for the 2023-24 season, but in the summer of 2024, his head coach, Igor Larionov, stripped him of the captaincy in favour of two-time Stanley Cup champion Slava Voynov when he joined the team. Instead of complaining, he focused on his own game. While his offensive output dipped, likely due to Voynov getting more power-play time at his expense, he did improve his defensive game and earned a place at the KHL All-Star Game.
If there is any question whether he has the desire to play in the NHL, Hockey Hall of Famer Igor Larionov doesn’t question it at all. In his opinion, the young man already had what it takes to be a key player in the NHL. The words of the young defender point to a desire to play in the NHL as he stated that “I don’t think ahead because I have at least two more years of contract with Torpedo. I am very happy to be here. Of course, if the opportunity arises, if the circumstances work out, if I am ready, I would like to try to play in the NHL. It is every boy’s dream.”
With the plethora of great young defenders in the Canadiens organization, Konyushkov is yet another option for the future of the blue line. This bodes well for the Canadiens as this adds another right-handed defenceman to their depth chart who is a legitimate NHL prospect. His progression could provide Hughes a future option that could make it easier to trade someone like Logan Mailloux if that is a requirement from a rival GM for Montreal to finally add that elusive second-line center with size they desire.
