{"id":175715,"date":"2025-08-30T15:47:12","date_gmt":"2025-08-30T15:47:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/175715\/"},"modified":"2025-08-30T15:47:12","modified_gmt":"2025-08-30T15:47:12","slug":"carolina-hurricanes-prospect-kurban-limatov-ready-to-prove-himself-after-draft-the-hockey-writers-carolina-hurricanes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/175715\/","title":{"rendered":"Carolina Hurricanes\u2019 Prospect Kurban Limatov Ready to Prove Himself After Draft – The Hockey Writers – Carolina Hurricanes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kurban Limatov is considered one of the most talented Russian defensemen, and he was drafted in the third round of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes<\/a>. In an interview with the popular Russian sports website Sport-Express, the defenseman shared his impressions after his selection and also commented on his future with Dynamo Moscow in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).<\/p>\n

**You can read the original interview in Limatov\u2019s native Russian by Fyodor Nosov here<\/a>**<\/p>\n

First Years and KHL Debut<\/p>\n

Just like most professional hockey players, Limatov started playing at a very young age. \u201cMy father brought me to the Northern Star school in Moscow when I was four years old; it was close to home,\u201d the blueliner recalls. \u201cLike everyone, at first I wanted to be a forward. Then at 7, I moved to CSKA, and there the coach suggested that I could try playing defense.\u201d<\/p>\n

Skipping ahead to the present, Limatov didn\u2019t have a vacation this year. Right after the MHL season, he went to North America to prepare for the draft. \u201cI didn\u2019t really get to rest properly,\u201d the blueliner explains. \u201cOnly in June, when we were preparing for the draft, but that time was very busy too. We were in Colorado, there was a mini-camp with our agent.\u201d Last season, he had 28 points in the MHL, a good result for a defenseman. \u201cIt was a decent season, but it could have been better,\u201d Limatov says. \u201cI missed out on converting a lot of chances, and at the beginning of the season I had some small issues with my defensive play. But I finished the season well \u2014 too bad we couldn\u2019t get past Loko.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"KurbanKurban Limatov, Dynamo Moscow (Photo credit: HC Dynamo Moscow)<\/p>\n

Last season, he made his KHL debut on March 1, when he had two shifts in Dynamo Moscow\u2019s 6-3 win over Kunlun Red Star. \u201cDuring the season, I had already been called up a few times for practices and was told that I might get a chance with the main team,\u201d Limatov explains. \u201cAfter a couple of sessions, the nerves went away. By the time of my debut, everything felt fine \u2014 the coaches and players supported me on the ice. I only had two shifts. One went fine, the other was messy. Our opponent took a penalty, but I didn\u2019t get a chance to play on the power play. I was sitting with Nikita Buruyanov<\/a>, he also only got two or three shifts in that game, so we sat and talked on the bench together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Recently, he had a conversation with Dynamo\u2019s head coach, Alexei Kudashov, who played three seasons in North America in the 90s, about his future prospects with the main team. \u201cHe said: \u2018We\u2019ll give you chances. Prove yourself \u2014 it all depends on you.\u2019 I was told that if someone got injured or if anything happened with the lineup, they\u2019d call me up.\u201d<\/p>\n

The NHL Draft<\/p>\n

Before the draft, Limatov traveled around North America with his agent. It was a busy period for the blueliner. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t exactly a trip for fun,\u201d he admitted. \u201cFirst, we flew to New York, stayed there for a couple of days before the Combine<\/a>, then we spent a week in Buffalo. After that, we had a break, and instead of flying back to Moscow, we stayed in Colorado with my agent. There we had a mini-camp. We went up into the mountains, where we got to enjoy the scenery. After that, we flew to Los Angeles for the draft, and from there to Carolina, who picked me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite some setbacks, he had a good time in North America. \u201cI missed Russian food,\u201d Limatov admits. \u201cIt\u2019s really hard to find there. But in terms of the training process, there were no real differences. We had 10 practices on the ice,\u201d he says about his draft preparation. \u201cAll the other work was off-ice. Since we were in the mountains, it was harder to breathe. We did a lot of running \u2014 no weights. We hiked up mountains with backpacks filled with stones. That was the only form of weight training. They really roasted us. It was tough climbing uphill for two hours. We weren\u2019t running, just walking, but it was pretty monotonous work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Limatov was also busy before the draft, meeting several teams. \u201cI spoke with almost all of them \u2014 it turned out to be 25 teams,\u201d he says. \u201cThe interviews were fairly simple: about 20 minutes with each team. You need to talk about yourself, your style of play, and how you conduct yourself both on and off the ice.\u201d Of course, there were also some interesting questions. \u201cI don\u2019t remember exactly which team asked it, but they said: \u2018What animal are you on the ice? And what animal are you off the ice?’\u201d<\/p>\n

The most interesting question came from one club that said: \u201c\u2019Let\u2019s imagine you\u2019re stuck in the desert with your friend Ivan Ryabkin. You\u2019re both dying of exhaustion, and Ivan finds a bottle. It says that if you drink it, you\u2019ll survive another day and reach the wells filled with water. You can\u2019t share the water \u2014 if you split it, you\u2019ll both die. Only one of you can drink. Next to the bottle, there\u2019s a bat. The bottle is by Ivan, and the bat is by you. What do you do?\u2019 That was the strangest question. Of course, I said I would take the water. I think that was the right answer.\u201d It was different for Ryabkin, however. \u201cAs far as I know, it was a bit different for him,\u201d he explains. \u201cHe told me they even yelled at him, testing his stress tolerance \u2014 so they really set up very different scenarios. They prepared separately for each player.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, among the 25 NHL teams Limatov spoke with, there wasn\u2019t Carolina. \u201cThe strange thing is, during the season we did talk with Carolina,\u201d Limatov explains. \u201c[Canes\u2019 scout] Oleg Smirnov came to almost every game, and we spoke often. But in America, I didn\u2019t even have an interview with Carolina.\u201d<\/p>\n

The defenseman didn\u2019t expect to be picked by the Hurricanes. \u201cAfter those interviews I thought it would be Ottawa or Nashville. Ottawa called me several times after the interview. Philadelphia was also very interested, but because of my injury they pushed me back to a later round.\u201d<\/p>\n

Limatov had first-round hopes. \u201cIt might sound like I\u2019m lying now, but on the draft day, Ottawa actually called my agent, asking in detail about my surgery. Maybe we were hoping that if not for the injury, they would\u2019ve taken me in the first round \u2014 they had the 21st or 22nd pick. Pyotr Andreyanov was picked 20th overall<\/a>, but still, I think the first round is much more prestigious. I believe the team would\u2019ve given me more opportunities if I had gone that high. But we also know plenty of cases where players were drafted in the seventh or eighth round and still played at the very highest level.\u201d<\/p>\n

Limatov attended the ceremony. \u201cThe first round is the most spectacular. The NHL really knows how to put on a show. There were a lot of fans, everything was very well organized. The announcements, though, took a long time \u2014 the first round lasted three or four hours. We waited, watched, and then went home.\u201d However, he was expecting to go higher. \u201cI was expecting to go late in the first round or early in the second,\u201d he admits. \u201cSo for me personally it was a bit low.\u201d Also, he didn\u2019t have any team in mind. \u201cHonestly, I would\u2019ve been happy with any team still on the board. Thanks to Carolina for believing in me and giving me a chance. Yes, there\u2019s big competition there, but I\u2019m not afraid of it and I\u2019m ready.\u201d He also admits another aspect. \u201cI didn\u2019t want to go to Canada. No particular reasons, I just preferred to join an American team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Going Up<\/p>\n

Some players make it and establish themselves in the NHL at 20, some at 18. Others, like Pyotr Andreyanov, extended his contract until 2030 and will go over as a ready-made player. Limatov has his plans. \u201cEverything depends on the next two seasons. I still have two years left on my contract with Dynamo. How those go will determine things, and after the contract ends we\u2019ll make decisions.\u201d <\/p>\n

He has a good connection with another Russian prospect within the Carolina Hurricanes organization: Ivan Ryabkin. \u201cBack when we both played for CSKA, we often stayed over at each other\u2019s houses,\u201d he recalls. \u201cWe always played together, traveled together. Then we both moved to Dynamo \u2014 also together. We played three seasons there, and now he\u2019s gone to America. At that point we kept in touch online.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last season, Ryabkin started with Dynamo Moscow, but failed to make an impression there. \u201cMaybe he wasn\u2019t given the same freedom he had the season before, under a different coach,\u201d Limatov explains. \u201cIvan could allow two or three goals against, but then score just as many or even more. He always made up for it and helped the team. But under our coach, we didn\u2019t have the luxury of conceding so much and making a lot of mistakes. So Ivan was given less freedom, and as a result he spent most games on the bench.\u201d<\/p>\n

Related: 3 Bold Carolina Hurricanes Predictions for the 2025-26 Season<\/a><\/p>\n

Then, in December, he left Dynamo to join the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the United States Hockey League (USHL). \u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s a strange decision at all. If things aren\u2019t working out here, maybe he isn\u2019t getting enough chances \u2014 then why not leave and test himself in another league? Absolutely normal. We didn\u2019t really have a serious talk about it. He just mentioned that maybe he\u2019d leave. No one was going to stop him. And I think he did pretty well \u2014 averaged a point per game in the season, and won the cup.\u201d<\/p>\n

Playing with Ovechkin in Dynamo and Becoming the Best in the NHL<\/p>\n

In an interview right after the draft, Limatov was asked: \u201cWho do you think is the best defenseman in the NHL?\u201d He promptly answered: \u201cMe, in five years.\u201d That was a bold reply by the young defenseman. \u201cI just didn\u2019t want to overthink it. If I had to name someone I like in the NHL, it would be Rasmus Dahlin<\/a>, but I decided to name myself. Why not? We\u2019ll see. I think in five years that prediction will come true.\u201d That answer reflects his future plans. \u201cMy goal for the future is to establish myself and become the best.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"KurbanKurban Limatov, Dynamo Moscow (Photo credit: HC Dynamo Moscow)<\/p>\n

Carolina is known for having a fairly conservative style of play. But Limatov is ready. \u201cMy job is to earn a spot in the lineup,\u201d he cuts it short. \u201cI can easily adapt to any scheme, any system \u2014 that\u2019s not a problem for me. And once the trust comes, I don\u2019t think there will be any issues with joining the attack. That part will be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s ready to sacrifice the offensive part of the game for the good of the team, too. \u201cAbsolutely no problem. Even if they tell me to play in the AHL \u2014 no problem. If I need to prove something, I\u2019m ready for any conditions. If they tell me to go play there, then of course, no problem. Give me ice time and I\u2019ll show what I can do.\u201d He attended the Hurricanes\u2019 rookie camp, but with a limited involvement due to his recent injury. \u201cThere were a couple of tests there. I didn\u2019t do everything \u2014 only what my arm and shoulder allowed. I wanted to get on the ice, but they didn\u2019t let me because they were afraid of the consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n

Limatov plays within the Dynamo Moscow\u2019s system \u2014 Alexander Ovechkin\u2019s home club. The defenseman has obviously followed the hunt for the NHL scoring record. \u201cOvechkin had been working toward that his whole life, just like the Stanley Cup. He waited a long time, stayed patient. I\u2019m proud of that achievement.\u201d<\/p>\n

Limatov\u2019s contract runs until 2027. Maybe he can get a chance to play with Ovechkin, should he return to Russia and to Dynamo Moscow. \u201cThat would be amazing. It would be interesting to see how he plays here again \u2014 both as a teammate and as a player.\u201d Many players are afraid of Ovechkin\u2019s shot, but Limatov said that he\u2019s ready to block them. \u201cThe first time, yes, I\u2019d block it. After that, I\u2019m not so sure \u2014 because it\u2019s not guaranteed I\u2019d still be alive,\u201d he laughs. It will be interesting to see that matchup \u2014 now it just remains to be seen in what league it will happen.<\/p>\n

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