A Setback for Pugachyov: The Bruins’ Fourth-Round Pick Is Already Making a Name for Himself in the KHL

Mathis Therrien
A Setback for Pugachyov: The Bruins’ Fourth-Round Pick Is Already Making a Name for Himself in the KHL
Credit: Capture d'écran Twitter

For the third consecutive year, the Montreal Canadiens have set their sights on a Russian forward for their first pick in the National Hockey League draft.

Ivan Demidov (5th) in 2024, Alexander Zharovsky (34th) in 2025, and finally Gleb Pugachyov (26th) in 2026—this past summer.

Of course, now that Demidov is an integral part of the Habs and Zharovsky has had an excellent rookie season in the KHL, the player being watched most closely—and who must prove himself—is Pugachyov.

Unfortunately for him, after receiving the good news that he had made the Nizhny Novgorod Torpedo roster, Pugachyov was left off Torpedo's lineup for the team's first four games on the road.

This is obviously a shame, as we were eagerly awaiting Pugachyov's season debut so we could see him in action more closely.

Pugachyov must be disappointed, as are the Habs' fans.

What makes it even more unfortunate is that, meanwhile in the KHL, the Boston Bruins' fourth-round pick from 2026 made a name for himself today in his first career game in Russia's top league.

In fact, Matvei Kotkov scored his first career goal, which turned out to be Yaroslavl Lokomotiv's first goal of the season.

Kotkov thus made a magnificent debut in the KHL, especially for an 18-year-old who was drafted only 104th overall.

The Bruins' Russian prospect had performed very well at Boston's development camp before flying to Russia, where he held his own and earned a spot on Lokomotiv's roster.

It's a great performance for the young player, and it's clear that Bruins fans have reason to be excited about this late-round pick—even if, for now, it's just one small game.

Meanwhile, over on the Habs' side, Gleb Pugachyov wasn't selected by Torpedo for his first road trip, which means he'll miss at least the first four games of his team's season.

The season is still long, but this is obviously a blow for the Habs' first-round pick and the CH fans.

Let's also keep an eye on Alexander Zharovsky, who will make his season debut later this morning.


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