Alexander Zharovsky: We need to talk about his (very) ordinary start to the season

Marc-Olivier Cook
Alexander Zharovsky: We need to talk about his (very) ordinary start to the season
Credit: KHL

Not everyone is as good as Ivan! 

That's what my boyfriend (and boss, hehe) Maxime Truman told me earlier on the phone when we were talking about Alexander Zharovsky's start to the season in the KHL.

And you know what? Max is right!

Zharo had quite the rookie season in the KHL in '25–'26… but he seems to be struggling to find his footing since the start of the '26–'27 campaign.

One goal and four assists for a total of five points in nine games. He's scored just one measly goal since the start of the season, and that came when the opposing goalie was completely out of the net.

The kid has talent, and we saw that today with the assist he picked up in his team's game. But that doesn't excuse the fact that he needs to get back to the rhythm he had last season.

There are always reasons why a young player isn't producing as much.

Pressure, expectations, ice time…

That said, I get the impression that Zharovsky is playing a somewhat diminished role right now with Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Why? Because the young player's team isn't as weak as it was last year—it's now one of the powerhouses of the KHL.

He may no longer have the opportunities he had last year. And this is true even though he's been averaging more than 13 minutes per game since the start of the season (as was the case in '25–'26)…

Let's be clear: no one has hit the panic button yet. The season is still young, and the kid still has time to find his footing. But… it's going to have to happen, too.

And I can't wait to see if he'll be able to tap into his talent to break out of his slump and become the dangerous player we saw last winter in Russia.


In a Nutshell

– Sunny Metha has wanted Luke Evangelista for a long time.

– Note:

– The CH's schedule for October is here:

– News from MLB.

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