The Montreal Canadiens added some future organizational depth on Friday, signing defenseman Bogdan Konyushkov to a two-year entry-level contract. The catch? He’s not packing his bags for North America just yet.
Konyushkov, a 23-year-old right-shot defenseman taken in the fourth round of the 2023 NHL Draft (110th overall), will spend the 2026-27 season on loan with his current KHL club, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Only then will he cross the Atlantic to join the Canadiens or their AHL affiliate in Laval for the 2027-28 season. General manager Kent Hughes announced the deal Friday afternoon.
The financials are pretty standard for an entry-level pact, per PuckPedia. In 2026-27, Konyushkov pockets an NHL salary of $850,000 with a $102,500 signing bonus and up to $72,500 in performance bonuses. The following season, his NHL salary jumps to $967,500 with a $107,500 signing bonus. His AHL salary sits at $85,000 for both years.
Because he’s 23, the contract runs just two years instead of the typical three-year term for younger prospects. And here’s the slightly tricky part: the loan year counts as the first season of the deal. So by the time Konyushkov actually shows up in Montreal or Laval, there’ll be only one year left on his contract. That puts some pressure on him to make an immediate impression.
A Steady Climb Through the KHL
Konyushkov isn’t some raw kid fresh out of juniors. He’s logged 237 regular-season games in the KHL since debuting in 2022, piling up 18 goals and 90 assists for 108 points. He’s quietly become one of the league’s more productive young defensemen, and his experience is a big reason Montreal is willing to wait.
This past season was his best offensively. Konyushkov posted seven goals and 31 assists for 38 points in 67 games, ranking 12th among all KHL defensemen in scoring and first among those under 25. He added five assists in 10 playoff games for Torpedo.
Looking back at his draft year, 2022-23, he put up two goals and 25 points in 64 games. The following season, it was six goals and 28 points in 65 games. His 2024-25 numbers dipped a bit to three goals and 17 points in 67 contests, but he made up for it during Torpedo-Gorky’s VHL playoff run. He racked up three goals and 10 assists in 17 postseason games as that club won the Petrov Cup championship.
Listed at 6-foot and 172 pounds, Konyushkov isn’t the biggest guy on the ice, but he’s earned leadership roles along the way. He’s worn both the captain’s C and an alternate’s A during his time with Torpedo, and he was named an assistant captain again during his breakout 2025-26 campaign.
The Canadiens have a defenseman who’s already played pro hockey at a high level, who’s produced offense from the blue line, and who’s been trusted with leadership responsibility. He just won’t be in the building for a while. That’s fine. Montreal is betting the wait will be worth it.
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