Official: Alexander Zharovsky will play “at least” one more year in Russia

Félix Forget
Official: Alexander Zharovsky will play “at least” one more year in Russia
Credit: KHL

In the last draft, the Canadiens did not make a pick in the first round. They held the 16th and 17th overall picks, but both were traded (along with Emil Heineman) to the Islanders in exchange for Noah Dobson.

That said, the team still made a move early in the second round, completing a trade to move up in the draft and secure the 34th pick. And with that pick, they set their sights on Alexander Zharovsky.

Nearly a year later, it's clear that it was a good bet. The young Russian scored 16 goals and 42 points in 59 games during his first full season in the KHL, an exceptional haul for a player his age in that league.

That said, we knew the kid was still under contract for next season… and today, we received confirmation that he will indeed remain in Russia next season.

And he'll be there for “at least” another year.

What you need to know is that Zharovsky's production is a bit misleading, given that a young player of his age never plays such a major role in the KHL. And in fact, by the end of the season (and especially in the playoffs, where it was very tough), you could tell he was running out of steam.

That's part of his development, of course. But it clearly shows that another year in Russia wouldn't hurt him.

The question now is whether next season will be his last in Russia. And according to D'Amico, it will really depend on what happens over the next 12 months.

It feels like Zharovsky, despite his immense talent, still has a lot to learn to be able to hold his own for a full season against adults. He still has plenty of time to adapt, in fact, but it makes sense to see him continue his development in Russia.

Let's see what the next 12 months have in store for him.


In a nutshell

– Hehe.

– Great read.

– Interesting.

– That's… unique.

– That's true.

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