Russia Stock Watch: Red Wings prospect Dmitri Buchelnikov can’t be stopped

We’re nearing the All Star break in the Russian hockey world in what has been a somewhat strange season so far. New faces have popped up to be top prospects at the KHL level in major roles with their clubs. Others (you know who) have dominated their opponents only to be limited to bench-warming for the entire month of November.

The VHL has been an interesting league to keep tabs on, with a few notable names forced to backtrack down to this level from the KHL to varying success accompanied by some 2024 Draftees breaking in to become regulars.

As for the 2025 NHL Draft, it remains a thin group. Over the past month, a number of names stood out as potential risers, though mostly looking at later-round prospects. Here’s a look at how things are going for prospects across Russia’s three main leagues.

Stock Rising 📈

Dmitri Buchelnikov, LW, Vityaz Moscow Region (Detroit Red Wings)

There’s been no stopping Dmitri Buchelnikov this season. The second-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft is currently tied for 5th in points in the KHL this year, along with a healthy lead in U23 production. With ten points in nine games this past month, he was easily one of the best players in the entire league.

What drives Buchelnikov’s success is his strong, counter-attacking style. Using his pace and off-puck sense, he’s shown the ability to take advantage of the opponents’ mistakes on defence, picking off passes in stride to flip momentum. That off-puck play transfers into the offensive zone very effectively as his movement sees him finding open ice to become available for passes to continue sequences.

From his game against Spartak Moskva on November 23rd: “[He] understands how to move through offensive zone plays, strong play recognition, good vision and playmaking ideas, no issues with finding open space to plant himself in. Picked up two primary assists, a simple pass to his defenceman at the point for a power play goal and a nice backhand saucer pass to his streaking linemate for a breakaway goal at 4-on-4. Showed additional pre-pass manipulation habits with last-second adjustments to work around sticks”

Magomed Sharakanov, D, Lada Togliatti (2025 NHL Draft)

In his draft-eligible season, Magomed Sharakanovwas one of the most productive defencemen at the MHL level; however, the package he had was tailored more towards being a fun prospect rather than an NHL-calibre one and, two years later, he remains undrafted.

This season, he’s transformed onto a new level. Breaking into a full time role in the KHL after being loaned to Lada, Sharakanov has worked to turn his tools into a toolkit by toning down the highly individualistic and borderline chaotic aspects of his game to become an effective professional hockey player. He’s a great mover, puck handler, and his defensive game has steadily improved since he popped into the scene. Starting the season in a limited role, the six-foot-one blueliner is now playing 20 minutes a night with Togliatti and is the top point producer on their back end.