Meet Alexander Karmanov, a 6’11, 250-pound defenseman who'll play at Penn State

In the world of sport, there are many impressive athletes.

Some of them even look superhuman!

For example, we’ve seen what 6’9 Zdeno Chara was able to do during his NHL career. But now we may have found the Zdeno Chara 2.0…

Meet Alexander Karmanov, a 6’11, 250-pound defenseman who will play for Penn State in the 2027-2028 season.

Karmanov played minor-league hockey in Russia and Belarus last season, and it’s easy to see why Penn State has shown interest in him.

The defenseman is best known for his play without the puck… And you’ll understand that he’s also capable of using his body to create space in both the defensive and offensive zones:

Wondering what a 7-foot-tall hockey player looks like?

Here are some clips of defenceman Alexander Carmanov at this year’s 16U WSI tournament.

: LiveBarn/Шестой полевой YT https://t.co/qFX5fcswCR pic.twitter.com/tTQ3usLbzo

– Mitchell Brown (@MitchLBrown) August 2, 2024

In the video above, there’s one aspect in particular that really struck me.

Karmanov has a good skating stroke… And he’s also able to handle the puck without trying too hard.

That said, the comparison with Zdeno Chara isn’t crazy, because the former Bruins captain was also capable of some fancy tricks on the ice:

Zdeno Chara spin-o-rama goal 2/24/2013 #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/ABtjRtZcOv

– Daily Bruins Highlight (@RandomBruins) August 11, 2022

Alexander Karmanov’s development will be something to watch over the next few years, because it will be interesting to see if he can progress in the right way.

Because if things go well for him and he manages to make his mark in the NCAA, I reckon we’ll see him in the NHL at some point.

To be continued.