Bogdan Konyushkov: KHL leader in assists completed this season

When the Canadiens made the decision to draft a 20-year-old Russian defenseman in the 2023 auction, there were many skeptics. Bogdan Konyushkov, however, is making a name for himself in the KHL with the precision of his passes.

In his first season in the KHL with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, the Habs’ fourth-round pick is THE best player in the entire league for completed passes.

Halfway through the KHL season, one stat that sticks out to me – #GoHabsGo 20 yr old Bogdan Konyushkov leads all defenseman in number of successful passes with 1746.

The next closest is #CauseChaos Alexander Nikishin with 1457. pic.twitter.com/e7QaIjj7jS

– Hockey News Hub (@HockeyNewsHub) December 16, 2023

He has a total of 1,746. His closest pursuer has just 1457. It’s crazy to see the difference.

He owes his success in part to his head coach, Igor Larionov, who does an excellent job with his young players. In fact, Konyushkov is Torpedo’s most-used player, averaging 22 minutes and 55 seconds of ice time per game. This average also places him 5th in the entire league in this respect.

That’s how much his coach trusts him.

Although not his specialty, Konyushkov is also one of the KHL’s top defenders in terms of total points. He’s already racked up 20 in 40 games this season, putting him tied for tenth in the league.

His fine performances even earned him a place in the KHL All-Star Game in early December. Quite a feat for a 20-year-old in his rookie season in the league.

Konyushov is currently playing with Russia’s Under-25 team at the Channel One Cup tournament. He picked up a point in his first game with a superb shot from the point that was deflected by his teammate.

TIE GAME
Ilya Safonov PP #RUS25 #Blackhawks
Bogdan Konyushkov #GoHabsGo
1-1 #ChannelOneCup pic.twitter.com/ADjiRxeQWK

– Hockey News Hub (@HockeyNewsHub) December 17, 2023

The biggest problem in his case would be that he doesn’t want to leave Russia. It’s a bit like the Matvei Michkov situation. We’re talking about two young players with a lot of talent, and their teams aren’t going to want to let them go too soon.

And in Konyushov’s case, it’s even more likely because of the great confidence of his coach, who seems to love using him in all sorts of ways.

The good news is that Konyushov is only 20 years old and is making the most of the KHL’s development at the moment. He may not be joining the Habs anytime soon, but his playing time will allow him to hone his skills.