We’ve reached the No.6 spot in our annual Montreal Canadiens prospect rankings, with freshly-drafted forward Alexander Zharovsky on deck.
As a reminder, to qualify for our list, Habs prospects must under 24 years old and have fewer than 75 NHL games under their belt. The rankings are based on the votes from almost 10,000 Canadiens fans.
6. Alexander Zharovsky, 18, Shoots Left, Right Wing, Tolpar Ufa (MHL), 6’1″, 163 lb. Picked 34th Overall (2025)
Seeing as the Montreal Canadiens traded a pair of first-round picks to acquire Noah Dobson, Zharovsky was the first player the team drafted in 2025, picking him early in the second round. It was a good value pick if we keep his pre-draft rankings in mind, as a few outlets were expecting the talented forward to be chosen late in the first round.
He almost cracked the top five in our annual rankings, a testament to the excitement from Canadiens fans regarding his ceiling, which is quite high to say the least.
Zharovsky oozes talent, combining fantastic playmaking and an excellent shot to make a positive impact in the offensive zone on a nightly basis. He finished 11th in scoring in the MHL, with 24 goals and 26 assists in 45 games to his credit. It should be noted that he was one of the youngest players in the league, having spent more than half the season as a 17-year-old, whereas the players ahead of him in the top scorers list were 18, 19, or 20 years old.
Few prospects are more comfortable with the puck on their stick, as evidenced by his penchant for challenging defencemen in 1 vs 1 scenarios. He didn’t always win those battles, but his aggressive approach is a healthy sign in regard to his confidence in his offensive tool kit, as he put together enough magical plays to populate a half dozen highlight videos.
If he isn’t busy generating controlled entries, Zharovsky loves to exploit open ice in the offensive zone, using the quick release on his one-timer in high-danger scoring areas to generating quality scoring chances.
The Russian Development
Zharovsky’s 50 points were enough to lead Tolpar in scoring, pushing them to a 38-10-3-3 record, as well as the top spot in the Silver Division. To give you an idea of their dominance, Tolpar scored 234 goals while allowing just 165 goals against, an impressive differential of +69.
Without trying to denigrate his competition, it must be said that the MHL is not quite on par with the talent level in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). With that in mind, we should probably temper our expectations as to his long-term value, while also keeping in mind that he made the best of his situation.
There may be some concerns as to his development in Russia, especially after the frustrating decisions that impacted Ivan Demidov’s ice time, but that’s the cost of admission if a team wants to pick high-quality players from Russia these days. The good news is that Russian prospects always report to the NHL when the time comes, unlike prospects developing in the NCAA.
In that vein, I’d argue NCAA players are much riskier to select than Russian prospects, even if development tends to be a little smoother in American collegiate ranks.
What’s Next For Montreal Canadiens Prospect Alexander Zharovsky?
Zharovsky is likely to spend the upcoming season in the MHL again, but there’s also a chance he may earn a roster spot with Salavat Yulaev in the KHL. For what it’s worth, he played in seven KHL playoff games last year, earning one assist.
The jump from the MHL to the KHL is chasmic, and I’d argue that he’s not ready for full-time KHL duties. He needs to improve his muscle mass, not to mention work on his skating before he’s set to begin his professional hockey career in earnest. He could stand to use his linemates a little more efficiently, though that’s often the case when a player owns a much higher skill level than most of his teammates. He also struggles at times with his defensive positioning, connoting that he has to keep his feet moving whenever he’s not driving the offence.
Simply put, Zharovsky has a very high ceiling, but there’s also a risk that his relatively long list of weaknesses may prevent him from making the jump to North America. The good news is that you can teach players how to defend, but Zharovsky’s innate talent is impossible to replicate, making him one of the most interesting players in the Montreal Canadiens prospect pool.
Previously Published 2025 Montreal Canadiens Prospect Articles:
Canadiens Prospect Rankings No.8 – Florian Xhekaj
Canadiens Prospect Rankings No.7 – Oliver Kapanen
Montreal Canadiens Top Prospect Rankings – Final List
Do you agree or disagree with the Montreal Canadiens prospect rankings? Let us know in the comments below!
Montreal Canadiens and Alexander Zharovsky statistics via Elite Prospects
