Coming in at No. 8 on our top 10 St. Louis Blues prospects is a silky Russian winger, Dmitri Buchelnikov.
As the anticipation for the 2026-27 NHL season grows, TheHockeyNews.com will be taking a look at the top 10 prospects in the St. Louis Blues' system, with skilled Russian winger Dmitri Buchelnikov coming in at the eighth spot.
The players in this ranking do not have extensive NHL experience and are all 23 and under. Therefore, players like Jimmy Snuggerud, Dalibor Dvorsky, and Logan Mailloux, among others, won't feature in this ranking for those reasons.
The order of these rankings reflects a mix of their ceilings and potential, as well as how they've performed over the past year with their respective clubs.
Buchelnikov could have easily ended up higher on this list, but after a down season in the KHL and another season that will be spent overseas, the best spot for him was No. 8.
Acquired by the Blues in the deal that sent Justin Faulk to the Detroit Red Wings, Buchelnikov is a 5-foot-10, right-handed winger who enjoys playing on his off-wing, as most Russian wingers do. He is silky smooth with the puck on his stick, looking to open up passing lanes before delivering feathery passes to his teammates.
Russia's ban from international tournaments has hurt the ability to evaluate Russian prospects against their peers, so at the moment, the only way to judge them is against grown men in the KHL. So far, Buchelnikov has shown the ability to excel at that level, but consistency is an issue.
In the 2025-26 season, the 22-year-old missed part of the season due to rehabbing an injury, playing just 44 games and totaling 14 goals and 25 points with CSKA Moscow. But the year prior, in 2024-25, Buchelnikov notched an impressive 15 goals and 54 points in 65 games, leading Vityaz Moscow Region team in points.
Buchelnikov will play his second, likely final season with CSKA Moscow after signing a one-year extension in March. Buchelnikov came to St. Louis for the Blues' development camp, emphasizing his desire to reach the NHL and live out a childhood dream.
Buchelnikov will turn 23 in just a few weeks (born on Sept. 3), but there are still concerns about his size. 5-foot-10 is a bit undersized in the NHL, but it's not much of an issue. His weight is a concern, as he is listed at just 163 pounds.
If the 2022 second-round pick (52nd overall) can fill out his frame, he could join the Blues late in the season and immediately jump into the lineup. If he can't add muscle, he'll likely need to spend some time in the AHL with the Springfield Thunderbirds.
Either way, the organization wants to bring Buchelnikov to North America as soon as possible and hopes he arrives at the end of the 2026-27 season.
St. Louis Blues Prospect Rankings:
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