Blackhawks Boost Offense by Signing Roman Kantserov to Entry-Level Contract

Roman Kantserov is now a member of the Chicago Blackhawks. The 2023 second-round draft pick will be making his way from Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the KHL, where he was the KHL’s leading goal-scorer with 36 goals in 63 games. He will look to carry that to the NHL.

News broke on May 8 that Kantserov was going to sign his entry-level deal with the Blackhawks, according to journalist Daria Tuboltseva.

But on May 14, the Blackhawks announced they had officially agreed to a three-year, entry-level contract.

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Something to know about Kantserov is that he is skilled. It was evident in his draft profile, which made him a prospect worth monitoring. He has been with Magnitogorsk for the past three seasons. In 2025-26, Magnitogorsk was the top team in the Eastern Conference in the KHL, but they were eliminated by AK Bars in the semi-finals.

Magnitogorsk’s elimination prompted talks about Kantserov’s future. Considering he was the KHL’s leading goal scorer and ninth-best in points (64), the Blackhawks were eager to add him to the fold. Magnitogorsk announced on May 8 that they had terminated Kantserov’s contract, which led to his signing an NHL contract.

From Scott Powers of The Athletic, general manager Kyle Davidson said about Kanterov’s selection, “He’s got some of that skill to play up the lineup, but he also plays hard,” Davidson said. “And so, I think there’s some versatility to his game. And so when you’re looking down the road, I don’t think he’s necessarily a guy that has to play in one specific role to potentially play in the NHL. He’s got the skill set to play multiple different roles within a lineup. And so, that was something that was appealing.” (from ‘Blackhawks prospect breakdown: Roman Kantserov’s fit in future lineup’- The Athletic – 9/12/2023)

Given the Blackhawks’ current state, that description of Kantserov is even more important. They have a lot of potential on offense in their pipeline with players like Connor Bedard, Nick Lardis, Anton Frondell, Frank Nazar, and more.

Kantserov adds to their offensive potential, and depending on how the Blackhawks’ offseason goes and who they might add, his versatility could give them a scoring option up and down the lineup. Although many suspect he will play with Bedard.

It will be interesting to see how he transitions to the NHL. He is a smaller player at 5-foot-9, 176 pounds, which was thought to have draft implications. But, as shown around the NHL, that is not a hindrance to putting the puck in the net.

It’s hard to overlook the KHL, in general, as well. Many NHL talents have come from that league, including Artemi Panarin, Kirill Kaprizov, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Blackhawks forward Ilya Mikheyev.

Seeing Kantserov’s offense grow from 8 to 13 to 36 goals over the last three seasons is encouraging, and hearing from Davidson that he is a hard-working forward adds another welcome trait. He also wore the “A” last season. With significant talk of the Blackhawks’ growing leadership amongst their young players, that’s fitting.

On another note, Blackhawks’ defenseman Artyom Levshunov said back in 2025 after the Blackhawks acquired his friend Dmitry Kuzmin from the Winnipeg Jets, “It helps me. We need some more Russians.”

From a Russian standpoint, aside from Mikheyev, if he re-signs this summer, Kantserov’s arrival could not only bring a boost for the forwards, but Levshunov, too.

Head coach Jeff Blashill said on April 1, “Well, obviously, you know, Frondell, Kantserov; those are guys that I wanted to see if they can have immediate impact come next season. I felt strongly, and still feel strongly that both can. And it’s great, honestly, that both of them have played center and wing, so it gives you flexibility.

“When I’ve watched Kantserov, he’s very, very high intelligence. Very, very good with the puck. Very accountable and defensively, as well. Looks like a guy who’s got a great give-and-go game. Is really, really smart. I think he can be a big impact guy, and he’s also got a lot of experience now. He’s got, I think, three years of KHL experience, of which he led the league in goal scoring this year. So, he’s a guy that I think can make an immediate impact, you know, if he chooses to come over.”

The Blackhawks are looking forward to seeing what the 21-year-old can bring.