For the first time since his selection at the 2025 draft, fans were able to see what Alexander could do on the ice at the Montreal Canadiens’ development camp, and they were impressed. The youngster has got impressive hands and looks to be on his way to a promising NHL career. He’s still in town, and on Saturday night, he dazzled the crowd at the Make Your Move event.
Le Journal de Montreal’s journalist Kevin Dube spoke to former Buffalo Sabres first-round draft pick Mikhail Grigorenko and asked him what he thought of the Habs’ prospect. The former NHLer, who skated in 249 NHL games and played in eight KHL seasons, winning three Gagarin Cups, has nothing but praise for the young man:
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“He’s excellent, he’s a very, very good player. He will spend another year in Russia, and then, I don’t know if he’ll make the jump straight to the NHL. He might need a year in the AHL, but I believe he has the potential to be a top-six player in the NHL.”
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For the former Quebec Remparts player, the Canadiens were able to claim him so late because of the fact he plays in Russia:
“If he didn’t play in the KHL, he would have been drafted in the first round. It’s hard for people to know just how good he can be because they can’t see him in the Junior World Championship or similar events and compare him to other young players. That was a steal for the Canadiens.”
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At 32 years old, Grigorenko, who played for the Sabres, the Colorado Avalanche, and the Columbus Blue Jackets, knows he’s unlikely to return to the NHL, but he seems at peace with that. He has a bigger role in the KHL than he would have in the NHL and says that he’s in a good place financially.
It will be interesting to see how Zharovsky’s transition to North American play goes at the tail end of the season. The KHL season is scheduled to take place from September 5 to March 20, while the playoffs will run from March 23 to May 11, 2027. The Canadiens’ prospect is set to return with Ufa Salavat Yulayev, and the team isn’t expected to be contending for the Gagarin Cup, which could mean that his season in Russia ends while the Canadiens are still playing. While KHL players’ contracts normally end on May 31, it wouldn’t be surprising if his team released him once its season ends, just as SKA St. Petersburg did when Ivan Demidov first joined the Habs.
Zharovsky was named rookie of the year in the KHL last season, putting up 42 points and 16 goals in 59 games and said at development camp that he will work on becoming a responsible forward at both ends of the ice.
Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.
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