It's another Russian heading to Shawinigan, as the team finishes up their import spots for next season with blueliner Shtyrkhunov.
As the offseason roars along, there is still plenty of work to be done from a number of teams across the QMJHL to finish up their rosters for the 2026-27 season.
On Sunday, the Shawinigan Cataractes made a big signing to fill their third and final import spot for the upcoming campaign, adding blueliner Vladimir Shtyrkhunov to the team.
Shtyrkhunov, 17, was the 35th pick in last month's import draft. The Murmansk native has spent his youth career developing in the CSKA Moscow system, and now will head overseas for his draft year.
The 6-foot tall right-shot defenseman played the majority of his 2025-26 season in the MHL, scoring four goals and 28 assists in 55 games in Russia's top junior league.
He's viewed as a potential first-round prospect in the 2027 NHL draft, with Daily Faceoff having him ranked at 23rd in their summer rankings.
Now, Shtyrkhunov will join a Shawinigan side with a couple other Russians, including Gleb Semenov and the recently-signed Pyotr Novozhilov. A big rookie QMJHL campaign could be big for a Cataractes side that will be one to watch this year, and could see him drafted early on next year.
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