Leafs prospect Plesovskikh gets his KHL shot, and his path to Toronto is becoming clearer
Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Alexander Plesovskikh has earned himself a promotion to the pros in the KHL and the potential he has should excite both Toronto and their fans.
Leafs draft pick Alexander Plesovskikh has made the jump to Russia's top men's league in the Kontenential Hockey League with Spartak Moscow.
Spartak, who have a respectable 33-23-4-2 record in the KHL, have given a chance to the youngster near the end of the season to get him accustomed to pro hockey.
Plesovskikh, who was selected by Toronto in the fifth round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, 152nd, made his KHL debut Feb. 26th against Admiral Vladivostok, and has since played three games, with zero points in minimal ice time.
The 20-year-old has already played six career games in the second tier Supreme Hockey League (VHL), including two games this season with Spartak's junior team. Plesovskikh has 26 goals and 49 points in 50 games for Spartak's junior team.
The Russian winger didn't have a lot of scouting reports as a prospect, and is still seldom talked about, but was discussed in 2024 (by me) in Dobber Prospects.
Although familiar as a sturdy, physical player with good size, Plesovskikh also has strong skating and a decent puck game to boost.
He didn't always get things going this season, which likely impacted his stock with some, but the raw tools are interesting, and he's one of the younger players from this past draft class. His upside isn't super high, but he's more upside and floor while already being big and mobile.
He didn't always get things going this season, which likely impacted his stock with some, but the raw tools are interesting, and he's one of the younger players from this past draft class. His upside isn't super high, but he's more upside and floor while already being big and mobile.
Plesovskikh could be a surprise NHLer, but next season is crucial
Do the Toronto Maple Leafs have a legitimate NHL prospect in Alexander Plesovskikh? History might be doubtful, but there may be reason to hold out some hope.
Admittedly, playing in Juniors as a D+2 rarely indicates a future NHLer, with the only skater to play a full season in the MHL and currently active in the NHL is Ulis Balinskis, who had spent the first two years of his draft eligibility in Germany.
In comparison, fellow fifth rounder and Leafs prospect Timofei Obvintsev has mostly played in the VHL, although limited to six games due to injury. Multiple Russians taken after Plesovskikh, including Matvei Korotky, Fyodor Avramov, & Andrei Krutov have already made the jump to the KHL full-time.
Plesovskikh has a long way to go in his development to even be considered an NHLer, and hasn't yet proven himself to be a full-time pro in Russia. Next season will be crucial for his success as he'll likely be playing in the KHL or VHL, more likely the VHL.
Watching his play, Plesovskikh lacks much that looks like a player who has advanced tools for the NHL level. He does move the puck well, but he's far from a high event player, and plays an overall average game, and this is at the junior level. His skating hasn't taken a massive step either.
Still, Plesovskikh shows moments that he can bring more to his game and create meaningful scoring chances, but he hasn't shown enough growth to warrant thinking he is a future NHLer.
The Leafs lack an impact winger in their prospect pool. Plesovskikh's upside is a bottom-six forward, his floor being just a reliable KHLer.
If Plesovskikh does manage to take an additional step forward in his game at the pro level, his timeline could see him realistically make the jump to the AHL in 2-3 years. The earliest he may see an NHL game is 2028-29, if he ever gets there.
Luckily for Plesovskikh, he does have some time to wait, forever that is. His contract rights don't expire, so Toronto can wait for as long as they like and see if one day his upside translates to pro hockey.
Continuing to be a very obvious project player, it's not unusual to see Russians take just a tad longer to develop a pro game, but Plesovskikh will have next year to prove himself, and fight for a spot at the KHL level first and foremost.
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| POLL | ||
MARS 8|752 ANSWERS Leafs prospect Plesovskikh gets his KHL shot, and his path to Toronto is becoming clearer Will Leafs prospect Alexander Plesovskikh make the NHL? | ||
| Yes | 458 | 60.9 % |
| No | 294 | 39.1 % |
| List of polls | ||