The Habs have signed their first prospect from their 2019 draft class and who it is may come as a surprise as they inked Arsen Khisamutdinov to a two-year, entry-level contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The 22-year-old was a sixth rounder last year after a dominant season offensively in the MHL. At the time, Trevor Timmins indicated that they believed Khisamutdinov would have been a sought after undrafted free agent so they opted to plan ahead and drafted him to secure his rights. Friday was the first day that they could sign the left winger once his deal in Russia came to an end.
This past season was a bit underwhelming for him. While Khisamutdinov spent most of the season in the KHL, he had a limited role, averaging just 10:06 per game. As a result, his offensive numbers weren’t pretty as he had just a goal and two assists in 31 regular season games with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. He did still see some action in the lower level VHL though with CSK Samara, picking up nine goals and four helpers in 14 games.
Given how he played this season, it’s quite unlikely that he’ll make the jump to the NHL next year and instead will be tasked with acclimating to the smaller ice surface in Laval. At 6’3, he brings some much needed size to the wing in the system but he is still very much a project player.
Khisamutdinov’s Stats: