Much of the focus of the Boston Bruins’ 2025 NHL Draft is on first-round selection James Hagens at Boston College and his teammate at The Heights, second-round pick Will Moore, but Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney might have found some potential NHL talent deep in that draft.
Kirill Yemelyanov, a sixth-round (165th overall), has been a top player in the MHL in Russia from the beginning of the season. The 6-foot, 170-pound forward has collected 18 goals and 13 assists in 34 games for Loko Yaroslavl, eight more points than the center tallied in the previous season.
Yemelyanov had a productive postseason, scoring four goals and adding four assists last season, and recently played in the MHL All-Star Game. The Irkutsk native is just eighteen years old and already shows the ability to win board battles and drive the net for high-danger chances and rebounds.
Elite Prospects had this to say about Yemelyanov in pre-draft scouting: “Yemelyanov plays the game like a true center, having the supportive, physical, and playmaking elements needed to shine in that role. He roams the defensive zone, stopping in the right spots, and providing assistance to his defencemen, before launching the attack with short passes. Attacking through the neutral zone, he stays connected with teammates, skating over and under players and east-west, filling available gaps and entering the offensive zone with control. There, he continues to show the same distribution and ability to move away from the puck.”
Yemelyanov was ranked 31st among European forwards by Central Scouting and was a late bloomer. The slender forward has improved his offensive production each of the last three seasons, and his defensive game remains a work in progress. However, as a late-round selection, the Bruins are excited for Yemelyanov’s potential and trajectory.
The one thing holding Yemelyanov back from succeeding at the professional level would be his size. He will need to fit into his frame if he is going to play against the best in the KHL and even develop at another level if he is going to hold up in North America. Yemelyanov is definitely a project, but that is what an 18-year-old sixth-round project typically is.
While his current body would have trouble sustaining in a 200-foot physical style of play against pros now, there is still time to see some valuable development with his body and game. While questions will always remain about whether Yemelyanov will ever come to North America, he has a style of game that could succeed here.
And that is the question. What are Kirill Yemelyanov’s intentions when it comes to turning professional? The KHL would be a logical next step as he has been in the Loko system for three years. Would Yemelyanov consider playing collegiate hockey in the States? You can bet Sweeney and the Bruins management will push for Yemelyanov to play collegiate hockey at some point soon. So far, Yemelyanov is thriving in the MHL. It will be interesting to see if the forward will end up in America sooner rather than later.
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