The Montreal Canadiens might not have had a first-round pick in the last draft, but they got the man they wanted anyways and right now, he's progressing very well under the tutelage of Viktor Kozlov.
On Monday, Research Ground published an exclusive interview with Montreal Canadiens prospect Alexander Zharovski, and it was an interesting read. My main takeaway from it? The prospect is in good hands.
There might not be as much hype about Zharovsky as there was about Ivan Demidov, and he might have been a second-round pick at the last draft, but the Habs would have picked him with one of their first-round picks had they not traded them to the New York Islanders in the Noah Dobson trade. The Canadiens’ draft documentary showed just how high Co-director of scouting Nick Bobrov was on the youngster, and he still is. The 18-year-old regularly texts him after games to check how he’s doing.
Canadiens: Finishing The Road Trip On A High Note
Canadiens: Who Should Start Against Seattle?
Canadiens: Dobes Made History With Fantastic Start
The Salavat Yulaev player is currently honing his skills under former NHL player Viktor Kozlov, who was himself a San Jose Sharks first-round pick in 1993, selected sixth overall. He was a center who played 897 games in the NHL with five teams, amassing 537 points. After departing the NHL following the 2008-09 season, he signed a three-year contract with Salavat and captained the team for one season. He played for a few more seasons in the KHL and retired in September 2015, immediately starting his post-career as an assistant coach with Metallurg Magnitogorsk.
According to Zharovsky, Kozlov has a knack for teaching the game; he doesn’t just sit players down, he takes the time to explain what was good in their play and what was wrong. This season, the former centerman has even started using the Canadiens’ prospect as a center and has been working on his faceoff skills, something that could definitely come in handy when he reaches the NHL.
As the KHL pointed out a few days ago on its X account, Zharovsky has the same number of points as Demidov in his first 10 KHL games. The Canadiens’ rookie had a higher shooting percentage, but a bit less time on ice.
Reading through the interview, Zarovsky comes across as a focused young man who’s aware of his shortcomings and intends to work hard to become a better player, which must be music to the Canadiens’ ears. Not that they didn’t know that Montreal did its due diligence before drafting him. As shown in the draft documentary, Kent Hughes even called Demidov, who has known him since childhood, to ask whether he would be a good choice.
While Zharovsky certainly looks like he has the makings of an NHLer, Canadiens fans will have to be patient since he’s under contract with the KHL side until the end of May 2027, and there are no indications that the team could be willing to let him go early. The rebuilding side is struggling financially and has let go of many veteran leaders in the off-season, meaning the youngster could play a significant role for the team.
Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.
Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.
Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.
Subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here.