Alexander Zharovsky’s KHL coach warns Canadiens prospect ahead of Montreal move
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Viktor Kozlov, who coaches Salavat Yulaev Ufa in the KHL, isn’t mincing words when it comes to his player.
“I told him not to be satisfied with his current level.
I don’t think he’s stupid enough to ruin everything.”
– Viktor Kozlov
The exact quote is actually much more direct and crude than that, but you get the idea.
Zharovsky has talent, but he still has a lot of work to do.
Kozlov doesn’t even know if his player will be ready for the NHL in a year.
“In Montreal, many are hoping that Alexander Zharovsky is somehow miraculously released by his KHL club.
His head coach, Viktor Kozlov, believes he needs another year there… at a minimum.”
– Nicolas Cloutier
Cloutier’s question even seemed to catch him off guard.
Alexander Zharovsky’s coach has not spoken with the Montreal Canadiens, unlike what we saw with Ivan Demidov
The contrast with Ivan Demidov is striking.
Last year, Montreal Canadiens fans became familiar with Demidov’s KHL coach, Roman Rotenberg, who was frequently in contact with the organization.
There was even a visit made there to help facilitate the transition.
With Zharovsky, we’re clearly not at that stage yet.
The young forward has plenty of talent, but he’s not as advanced as Demidov was a year ago.
He had a difficult finish to the season in the KHL and needs to use the 2026-27 season to continue progressing.
And after that, he could arrive in Montreal at the same time as Michael Hage.
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Alexander Zharovsky’s KHL coach warns Canadiens prospect ahead of Montreal move
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