Who's the best player outside the NHL

[Kshahdoo]

You say it like it's a bad thing.


Yeah, KHL is so weak that when a middle-six KHLer like Tsyplakov is moving to the NHL he becomes just a middle-six NHLer.


Seriously though, I think when answering the question in the OP Nikishin is likely the correct answer, however it might be not that easy to determine a top 5, as indeed there are interesting players not only in the KHL who might be totally NHL ready already at this point.

My logic is the same age players from other leagues are either not good enough or already NHLers. And younger players are just not there yet.

I mean look at NCAA, who's the leading scorer of the league right now? Nashville's 7th rounder Aiden Fink. If you ask hfers about him, i'm pretty sure 90% will answer "never heard of him", and such stats don't usually mean a lot anyway.

 

[Caser]

Or AHL All star Alexander Yelesin

Sure, Yelesin didn't work out like at all, but then there is Lyubushkin, who in general was worse in the KHL than Yelesin and he is a solid NHLer.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Demidov quite easily

 

[L4br3cqu3]

Nikishin




The rest

I think Demidov should have a place not far from Nikishin, but he's still a kid.

Nikishin though, hope he'll sign an NHL contract at some point, whether it's with Carolina or with someone else, can't wait to see how he'll fare on a North American ice, he does have everything to excel.

 

[BKarchitect]

I feel like this conversation is impossible to have without people conflating best, most ready NHL prospect with best hockey player. It’s already happening.

If you take this conversation at its most literal core - it is pretty irrelevant whether a guy like Shabanov succeeds in the NHL or not. The question isn’t “who is the best player at ice hockey given NHL rules, NHL rink sizes and NHL settings”.

I think Nikishin is a good choice because he fits both the purity of the question and the desire to answer it based on an age/prospect status, size and toolset that seems easily transferable to the NHL. You can make the case he’s the best defenseman in the KHL and thus the best defenseman outside the NHL.

To answer Demidov you actually have to believe he is, as of the 24-25 season, the very best forward in the KHL, for starters. I think he is clearly the most precocious talent and clearly having a great season - but is he, as of 3/15/25, a “better hockey player” than say Dmitri Buchelnikov? Like distinctly, a level above? Or Shabanov? Or Galimov? Or…?

Leonard is interesting because he has a pretty dominate physical toolset that IMO could be succeeding highly in any non-NHL senior league right now, KHL included. And while yes, going down the NCAA scoring list is a foolish way to say “this player is NHL ready”, the very very top guys with experience and physical context tend to prove out very much NHL ready - which leads me to believe a guy like Leonard is a more plausible inclusion than superstar prospects still in juniors.

 

[Zine]

Those two have the highest probability of being impactful NHLer's next year than anyone not named Nikishin or Demidov in the KHL.

I put Fowler in there, because he is quickly becoming the best goalie prospect in hockey, if he isn't already.

Look at Misa's teammate Chernyshov. He's dunking on the OHL to absurd levels (more than Misa is) yet he's, at best, a 3rd liner on Dynamo similar to Rimashevsky.

On no planet are Schaefer or Misa the current best players outside the NHL.
Yes absurdly talented players......but they're still U18 kids.

 

[EXTRAS]

I don't know where he would rank but I'd bet Tristan luneau becomes a pretty dangerous offensive dman soon. He has 32 points in his last 22 ahl games as a 20 year old ahl rookie dman.

6'1 202 lbs for those who care.

 

[Zine]

Hard to judge guys coming out of the Russian leagues right now. Their domestic game is on a downturn. US college hockey and Major Junior are on the upswing.

What are you talking about? Is not major junior on the downswing with players now able to leave for the NCAA?

 

[toddkaz]

Those two have the highest probability of being impactful NHLer's next year than anyone not named Nikishin or Demidov in the KHL.

I put Fowler in there, because he is quickly becoming the best goalie prospect in hockey, if he isn't already.

Will Misa be in the NHL next year? Besides Schaefer who is NHL ready?

---------------------------------------------------

Gavin McKenna?

He would go first overall if he was eligible.

 

[Bounces R Way]

lol yup the 6 best players not in the NHL atm are all Russian
Classic Russkie boosting

Nikishin and Demidov yes, maybe Gristyuk you could make a decent argument for but zero out of ten NHL franchises are taking 5'8 150lb Maxim Shabanov on their roster tomorrow before Leonard, Parekh, Perrault, Buium, Morrow, Cristall, or Misa.
Josh Leivo is leading the KHL in scoring, it's not a bad league by any means but also not what it used to be.

 

[ViD]

lol yup the 6 best players not in the NHL atm are all Russian
Classic Russkie boosting

Nikishin and Demidov yes, maybe Gristyuk you could make a decent argument for but zero out of ten NHL franchises are taking 5'8 150lb Maxim Shabanov on their roster tomorrow before Leonard, Parekh, Perrault, Buium, Morrow, Cristall, or Misa.
Josh Leivo is leading the KHL in scoring, it's not a bad league by any means but also not what it used to be.

Well, KHL is the only European league where NHL caliber players are still playing after their draft so naturally it will be Russians.

And since the question is about the player stepping it in now and not their future progression, it’s also 20+ year old Russians

 

[Bounces R Way]

Well, KHL is the only European league where NHL caliber players are still playing after their draft so naturally it will be Russians.

And since the question is about the player stepping it in now and not their future progression, it’s also 20+ year old Russians

Mmmmm no it's not and no it isn't. Everyone's entitled to their own delusion though, enjoy.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

Vitali Kravtsov

I think Demidov should have a place not far from Nikishin, but he's still a kid.

Nikishin though, hope he'll sign an NHL contract at some point, whether it's with Carolina or with someone else, can't wait to see how he'll fare on a North American ice, he does have everything to excel.

Do the Canes hold his rights indefinitely?

 

[KILLger]

Kravtsov appears to be doing great, yes

 

[CanadienShark]

Demidov or Nikishin.

 

[L4br3cqu3]

Vitali Kravtsov


Do the Canes hold his rights indefinitely?

There's no transfer agreement between the NHL and the Russian hockey federation, so right now yeah. They could trade his rights for whatever reasons, but if he wants to play in the NHL, it'll be with the Canes.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Cody Glass

 

[Zine]

lol yup the 6 best players not in the NHL atm are all Russian
Classic Russkie boosting

Nikishin and Demidov yes, maybe Gristyuk you could make a decent argument for but zero out of ten NHL franchises are taking 5'8 150lb Maxim Shabanov on their roster tomorrow before Leonard, Parekh, Perrault, Buium, Morrow, Cristall, or Misa.
Josh Leivo is leading the KHL in scoring, it's not a bad league by any means but also not what it used to be.

Guys like Parekh, Cristall, Misa, etc. cant even make a 5th place Canadian WJC team.

A 25 year old Shabanov would completely destroy the WJC. Men vs boys.

 

[MNRube]

Nikishin
Leonard
Demidov
Buium
Some KHL vet

 

[Bounces R Way]

Guys like Parekh, Cristall, Misa, etc. cant even make a 5th place Canadian WJC team.

A 25 year old Shabanov would completely destroy the WJC. Men vs boys.

yeah sure man whatever you say
Maybe if he has a real strong final couple games he can come close to matching Reid Boucher's KHL point totals from last year. Reid Boucher who's best year in the NHL was an 8G 19P season almost a decade ago.

 

[Zine]

yeah sure man whatever you say
Maybe if he has a real strong final couple games he can come close to matching Reid Boucher's KHL point totals from last year. Reid Boucher who's best year in the NHL was an 8G 19P season almost a decade ago.

And a current Reid Boucher would absolutely destroy a bunch of kids like Parekh, Cristall, Misa, etc, let alone make a 5th place WJC team.

 

[Bounces R Way]

And a current Reid Boucher would absolutely destroy a bunch of kids like Parekh, Cristall, Misa, etc, let alone make a 5th place WJC team.

Totally. Which is why 6 months from now he'll be enjoying boiled cabbage in Omsk while they'll all be at NHL camps with a decent chance to make a real pro hockey team.

 

[Rob Sense]

I think Demidov should have a place not far from Nikishin, but he's still a kid.

Nikishin though, hope he'll sign an NHL contract at some point, whether it's with Carolina or with someone else, can't wait to see how he'll fare on a North American ice, he does have everything to excel.

Montreal Canadiens' Ivan Demidov rated No. 1 on Craig Button’s Top 50 NHL-affiliated prospects list | TSN

Montreal Canadiens blue-chipper Ivan Demidov, in the middle of a record-setting season in the KHL, is the No. 1 player on Craig Button’s top 50 NHL-affiliated prospects list.

www.tsn.ca

Nikishin
Leonard
Demidov
Buium
Some KHL vet

Please stop!

 

[L4br3cqu3]

Montreal Canadiens' Ivan Demidov rated No. 1 on Craig Button’s Top 50 NHL-affiliated prospects list | TSN

Montreal Canadiens blue-chipper Ivan Demidov, in the middle of a record-setting season in the KHL, is the No. 1 player on Craig Button’s top 50 NHL-affiliated prospects list.

www.tsn.ca

Please stop!

Stop... what ?

 

[Rob Sense]

Stop... what ?

If i have to spell it out it only makes you look worse.