Toronto's sixth-round pick in 2026, Yaroslav Fedoseyev, is already fighting for a KHL roster spot with him sliding into the Traktor Chelyabinsk preseason lineup.
Fedoseyev, 19, was drafted 161st overall by the Maple Leafs during the 2026 NHL Entry Draft and was meant to bring a meaner edge to the prospect blueline given his ability to be physically imposing, aggressive, and willing to take on any and all comers to protect his team.
Fedoseyev is getting an early chance to turn preseason exposure into a KHL role
He's also someone who is going to have his work cut out for him this season if he wants to make the KHL, given that he's up against some tough competition trying to compete for a spot on Traktor Chelyabinsk, though he's currently on a path that could lead him to taking that next step.
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Fedoseyev was seen skating on the 4th pairing during Traktor's preseason contest against Yekaterinburg in what could be considered an early barn-burner with a 4-3 Yekaterinburg win that included a combined 119 shots.
Fedoseyev does have KHL experience with Traktor though, as he did appear in nine games with the club last year, recording one goal. He also spent time with their minor affiliates in the VHL and MHL where he had six points in 25 games, and 13 points in 24 games respectively.
He also joins former Maple Leafs prospects like Axel Rindell and Veto Miettinen as players who have had experience playing professionally prior to their draft, as Rindell was part of Jokerit and Miettinen was part of Espoo's U20-team, while also spending the past two seasons as part of both KalPa and KooKoo of the SM-Liiga in Finland.
A Fedoseyev breakout would change Traktor's plans for 2026-27
A VHL assignment would still make sense developmentally because it would give Fedoseyev more regular minutes, but staying with Traktor would expose him to a much higher level of competition.
We will have to keep an eye on how long Fedoseyev stays with Traktor, whether that be through the entire preseason or if he is going to be an early cut.
If he can stay with the team and play depth minutes while constantly improving then it will push his development from raw prospect to potential future NHLer.
A VHL assignment will give him more playing time but expose him to lesser competition, though the KHL would see him as more depth - though be the bigger environment to grow from and put him way ahead of where Toronto thought he'd be.
For a sixth-round pick, simply earning meaningful KHL minutes at 19 would already be a positive development signal.
Toronto already has a few prospects coming from overseas who are going to fight for an AHL roster spot this season, so Fedoseyev doesn't need to rush to come over here. But he's someone to keep an eye on as sixth-round picks don't normally get chosen to play in the second-largest hockey league in the world.
Do you think Yaroslav Fedoseyev deserves a KHL spot?
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