Montreal Canadiens prospect Bogdan Konyushkov gave an interview to RG.org's Sergey Demidov yesterday and it's an interesting read.
While Montreal Canadiens' GM Kent Hughes is in Russia watching Ivan Demidov and having talks with his SKA St. Petersburg's organization, another Canadiens prospect is quietly having a good year in the KHL.
Right-shot blueliner Bogdan Konyushkov spoke to RG.org's Sergey Demidov and he had some interesting things to say. The 21-year-old blueline is actually under contract with his KHL team the Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod until the end of the 2025-26 season, so there's no rush for the Canadiens to get involved with his development.
He's not getting the Demidov treatment from the Canadiens, but he doesn't mind it at all. He understands Demidov will soon be coming over to Montreal and appreciates his timetable is shorter. Besides, Konyushkov knows what he needs to work on in order to be able to make the transition to the North American style.
In the meantime, he's impressed by what he's seeing in Montreal, and says Lane Hutson will be a big contributor when the Habs are done rebuilding. Right now Konyushkov is focusing on the defensive side of the game which explains the dip observed in his offensive output this season.
Thanks to coach Igor Larionov, he's also learning to be a better professional hockey off the ice, taking care of his body and learning to eat right. The youngster also admits he's been observing what Slava Voynov does and how he handles himself on and off the ice, hockey wise of course.
Konyushkov is not jealous of the treatment Demidov receives, stating that he deserves it all, being a fifth overall pick. He also sees the hype from Canadiens' fans online for Demidov and adds he believes the tight winger will meet all the expectations when he crosses the pond.
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