The Montreal Canadiens already have one of the most talented young rosters in the NHL.
And when you consider just how much promising potential the Habs have in their system that hasn’t yet reached the NHL, it’s quite impressive.
One of those players is Alexander Zharovsky. He’s not a household name yet, and he’s not even playing in North America.
But when Zharovsky arrives, he’s got a chance to be a special player.
Who is Alexander Zharovsky?
Zharovsky is a 19-year-old defenseman based in Russia.
He was a second-round pick by the Canadiens in the 2025 NHL Draft, but they haven’t brought him to North American yet.
Zharovsky is listed at 6-foot-2, and he’s a left-shot right winger who will turn 20 years old in February.
And right now, Zharovsky is doing great things in the KHL — the Kontinental Hockey League, Russia’s top division.
He’s playing for Ufa Salavant Yulayev, and he’s now in his third season appearing in the KHL for them after also playing for their youth team.
Ufa Salavat Yulayev actually give Zharovsky his debut two seasons ago in the playoffs when he would’ve been just 17, so they obviously believed in his talent from an early age.
Last season, Zharovsky scored 42 points in 59 games with 16 goals and 26 assists, then added two assists in 10 playoff games.
So far this season, Zharovsky has put up 13 points in 19 games. He has four goals and nine assists.
Praise for Alexander Zharovsky
Zharovsky came onto the radar a bit more on Thursday when Sportsnet’s Frank Seravalli shouted him out in a new article.
This is part of what Seravalli wrote:
“Here’s the thing: the start of the season from some of their young players has the Canadiens internally weighing how aggressive they want to be on the trade market. The solutions may be within. Consider: Luke Mittelstadt has popped in a big way on the Laval blue line. Nineteen-year-old Alexander Zharovsky has five points in his last three games and is Top 25 in KHL scoring. Scouts consider Adam Engstrom one of the best defensemen without a fully defined NHL role right now. And Michael Hage is tearing up the NCAA at Michigan with 14 points in six games.”
Seravalli goes on to note that multiple of the players he named could come to the NHL soon. Zharovsky likely wouldn’t be one of those. He’d probably finish out this season in Russia before any such consideration is made.
Eventually, though, Zharovsky could be a key piece for the Habs, or even a key trade chip. He’s going to matter one way or another for Montreal.
Canadiens’ Future Star On Fire In KHL