How Nikita Artamonov leaned on Igor Larionov to become a first-round 2024 NHL Draft prospect

Steven Ellis
Steven Ellis
Nikita Artamonov (KHL Photo)
Credit: Nikita Artamonov (KHL Photo)

There’s one thing that the average might overlook when evaluating a prospect’s number: European pro teams are not there to develop NHLers.

Whether it’s the KHL, SHL, Liiga, DEL, NL, you name it, they’re all operating to win and be a profitable business. That’s especially true in the KHL, where top-level talents can find themselves on the outside looking in, in favor of older veterans, only for those younger players to not get as much value dominating the Russian junior league. Matvei Michkov knows that all too well – despite being one of the top prospects in the world, he still had to deal with being scratched at points this year when his defensive play fell flat.

So, being a young skater trying to get the best possible development can be punishing. But in Nikita Artamonov’s case, he had a coach who believed in proper development, someone who’d be willing to go to bat for him and extract the most out of a talented player with first-round NHL Draft aspirations.

And it so happens that it was Hockey Hall of Famer Igor Larionov he had on his side.

Larionov coaches Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in the KHL, a mid-pack team with limited NHL experience on the roster. Defenseman Madison Bowey was the only player with more than three games to his credit, and even he was just a depth guy throughout his career.

However, one thing the team has really benefited from is its youth movement. The roster had 11 players aged 22 or younger, including 21-year-old captain Bogdan Konyushkov, a Montreal Canadiens prospect. So Larionov understands the value in the youth movement, and in Artamonov’s case, it really helped out.

“He found the right path for me,” Artamonov said with the help of an interpreter. “He told me what I should, how I should be ready and what he expected from me for the season as a KHL player, and it worked really well.”

Considered a first-round prospect for 2024, Artamonov said he spent last summer focusing on trying to take his game to the next level and get into full-time KHL duty – something that’s rare for prospects his age. He worked closely with Larionov to get his game where it needed to be, and credits the former Detroit Red Wings star for helping push him to the next level.

“I think that I deserved (to play in the KHL) because I worked hard in the summer and believed in myself,” Artamonov said. “The coaching staff also trusted me, and I tried not to let them down. I tried to do everything to meet coaches’ expectations because they told me what I had to do and how I should be ready.”

Artamonov had a successful first season, registering 23 points in 54 games to sit second among U-19 KHLers. No other draft-eligible even hit the 15-point mark, with roommate and fellow projected first-rounder Anton Silayev sitting second with 11 points in 63 games. In all, Artamonov’s production was the sixth-best by a U-19 player in league history, trailing the likes of Eeli Tolvanen, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Kirill Kaprizov, and Vladimir Tarasenko.

That’s good company to be in, and Artamonov believes that the fact that Larionov wouldn’t punish him for mistakes and limit his ice time when he got outmatched was a big component of his success.

“I haven’t seen coaches like in Russia who don’t scream at all,” Artamonov said. “He politely explains everything, what has to be done step by step and how everything runs. He would never punish me at practice, even when you did something wrong and you feel it was wrong. Igor says, ‘Don’t worry,’ and brings polite corrections to my game.

That’s big for a young prospect.

“Larionov always told me not to worry about my age, saying, ‘You are part of this group; you belong here.'”

From a style perspective, Artamonov can beat players with pace. He’s a good skater with high-end top speed and good edgework, allowing him to make things happen in space. Artamonov’s puck skills and hockey sense are both solid for this group, allowing him to beat bigger, more experienced defenders with his quick hands and creativity.

What Artamonov lacks in vertical leverage, he makes up for in raw strength. He’s 5-foot-11, but he’s about 190 pounds and can hit hard. His speed and power makes it difficult for defenders to contain around the net. Artamonov is still trying to figure out how to maximize his scoring chances around the net, but he’s got plenty of power-play experience already at a young age and competes hard.

All that combined makes for a raw prospect, but someone with decent underlying numbers. He’s off to a good start in terms of production and likes having the puck on his stick, and he’s got big, strong legs that allow him to win a ton of battles.

However, one thing Artamonov needs to get better at is becoming a more dynamic scoring threat. He’s got a non-stop motor and has the brains to make himself useful, but he can be a bit predictable at points. He had a decent first year, but many scouts think he had the skill to surpass the 30-point threshold if he could find more ways to generate scoring chances and make quicker decisions with the puck. Artamonov has the traits you want more from a bottom-six, do-it-all forward, but he needs to be better at distributing the puck and finishing plays in close.

Still, early reviews are positive.

“He reminds me of Kirill Kaprizov at the same age,” one scout said. “Maybe with less of a game-breaking presence, but the way he moves, the frame, everything looks similar.”

Every NHL teams need a player like Artamonov – someone who works his tail off and wants to win the battle at all costs. The biggest question, though, will be whether he can find the scoring touch needed to push himself up higher in an NHL depth chart. I do not doubt that he can become an impact NHLer, but how much is up to him.

A team looking to add a winger with a high ceiling could look to take Artamonov midway through the first round. Others might be more reserved and let him slip early on Day 2. Regardless, there’s a lot to like here, and there’s no shortage of teams that would be better off giving him a shot.

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