The NHL will open the 2024-25 season on Oct. 8, but the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) has less than three weeks before the puck drops for the Opening Cup match between last year’s finalists, Metallurg and Lokomotiv —two teams without Hurricanes prospects in their roster (except for d-man Alexander Siryatsky, who is unlikely to make Magnitka’s main lineup).
This KHL season will be particularly intriguing for the Hurricanes fans, as several high-end up-and-comers will spend the season there continuing their development. Here are five players who will be especially interesting to follow this season.
Alexander Nikishin
2023-2024 stats: 57 (28+39) points in 72 games, plus-35
One of the best players outside the NHL, Nikishin had another tremendous season with SKA, one of the KHL’s powerhouses, where he captained and led the team in scoring as a blueliner. However, his season was cut short due to an injury that sidelined him at the most critical time—the elimination stage—where SKA suffered a defeat in the second round. In 2024-2025, the St. Petersburg franchise made significant acquisitions in the free agent market, including Evgeny Kuznetsov.
Despite these additions, Nikishin’s role is not expected to diminish. The big-bodied defenseman (6-foot-4, 216 pounds) is poised to play 20 minutes a night on one of the top KHL teams. His contract with SKA will end this season, and Nikishin has already declared that he will join the ‘Canes as soon as possible, which was confirmed by Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky. This could be a major coup for Carolina, who would gain a top-four defenseman immediately.
The only downside is that SKA is a contender, and the league recently decided to extend their season until May 31, so it’s uncertain whether Nikishin can assist the Hurricanes this season and, if so, how tired he might be after another exhausting campaign in the geographically expansive top Russian league.
Nikita Artamonov
2023-2024 stats: 23 (7+16) points in 59 games, minus-8
It’s rare for a team to get the opportunity to snag such a talent in the second round, so it’s understandable that the Hurricanes jumped at the chance to select Nikita Artamonov with the 50th overall pick at the 2024 NHL Draft. Artamonov made significant progress last season, playing under Igor Larionov at Torpedo and earning a Rookie of the Year nomination after winning the Russian Junior League title in 2023.
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Artamonov spent most of the season on Torpedo’s top line – a remarkable achievement for a 19-year-old – and displayed flashes of brilliance despite some inconsistency, which is normal for a player his age playing in a senior league. Artamonov has an arsenal of moves in the offensive zone, and if he continues to develop his skills and become more consistent, the Hurricanes could have a complete, high-motor offensive player on their hands by the time his contract expires in 2026.
Alexander Rykov
2023-2024 stats: 8 (6+2) points in 31 games
The 2024-2025 season will be crucial for the 2023 fourth-round selection. Once again, Rykov posted good numbers in the VHL, the Russian second-tier league, but failed to make an impact at the KHL level despite improving his production with six goals and two assists in 31 games with Traktor.
At 19, Rykov is still young, but at this point, especially considering his strong showing in the VHL last year, it’s time for him to start producing consistently and earn a bigger role in the Traktor lineup—he only skated in two playoff games last season. However, this won’t be easy as the Chelyabinsk franchise, which had a strong playoff run last season, has hired Benoit Groulx as head coach. The message is clear: the team must win games, which likely means a bigger role for veterans rather than a focus on developing prospects.
This means that Rykov needs to start showcasing his best hockey right away, or he risks wasting a year of development at a critical age. A loan to a lower-level KHL team might have been beneficial for Rykov, who demonstrated his potential with six goals last season, showing that he can compete at this level but needs more playing time to continue his growth.
Vladimir Grudinin
2023-2024 stats: 11 (2+9) points in 58 games
A 2022 Draft pick, Grudinin is a smooth skater with good puck skills, though his main downside is his size. At 5-foot-10, 157 pounds, he has developed excellent skating abilities to compensate for his lack of physical play and reach. He also improved his defensive performance last season and moved from CSKA to Severstal, finally securing a full-time spot at the KHL level.
While his production wasn’t stellar, he did demonstrate good passing skills and a well-developed hockey IQ that will serve him well at any level. At this point, he is a long shot to make the NHL, mainly due to his size, but he has the potential to become a third-pairing blueliner on the ‘Canes. He is under contract in the KHL for another season, and it will be interesting to see whether Severstal gives him a more offensive role—he certainly has the skills to be a competent defenseman in the offensive zone.
Timur Kol
2023-2024 season stats: 8 (5+3) points in 23 games in the VHL
Timur Kol was a sixth-round pick—he could have gone earlier—as his size and mobility caught the attention of the Hurricanes scouts after a strong 2023-2024 campaign in the VHL. Kol also made his KHL debut, skating in two games for Avangard Omsk. However, this summer brought a change of scenery for the young defenseman, who was transferred from Avangard to SKA. In the junior leagues, Kol had more opportunities to use his strong shot from the point, but with the seniors, he was asked to keep things simpler despite having a certain degree of freedom in the VHL.
“In the VHL, I was allowed quite a lot. I played on the power play and was trusted on the ice,” Kol told KHL.ru. “With Avangard, the coaches told me to keep it simple, but I also understood that the team already had players who could execute plays at a higher level. My job was just to take the puck and pass it forward without overcomplicating things.” At this point, it’s hard to gauge what kind of impact his move to SKA will have on his development.
Naturally, he may have fewer chances to skate in the KHL as the St. Petersburg franchise has a stacked roster and higher ambitions, but he will also have a chance to practice with better players, compete at the VHL level, and develop in good conditions. He is under contract in the KHL until 2026, and considering his size (6-foot-4, 205 pounds), his adaptation should be smoother than that of the average Russian player.
KHL Season Ahead
The KHL season starts on Sept. 3, and the last possible game will be held on May 31, 2025. The Hurricanes drafted 15 players in the last three drafts, with notable names to keep an eye on like Torpedo’s Andrei Krutov, Avangard’s Alexander Perevalov, and Vityaz’s Stanislav Yarovoi.
