The Canucks announced today that they’ve recalled defenseman Kirill Kudryavtsev from AHL Abbotsford under emergency conditions. The 21-year-old will make his NHL debut in Vancouver’s penultimate game of the season tonight against the Sharks.
Kudryavtsev will presumably slot into a third-pairing role with Derek Forbort unavailable after sustaining an orbital bone fracture in a fight with Wild forward Yakov Trenin on Saturday. His absence left the Canucks with only five healthy defenders since Tyler Myers remains out with an undisclosed injury, per Ben Kuzma of Postmedia.
Vancouver selected Kudryavtsev with a seventh-round selection in the 2022 draft. He’ll be the first player from that round to make his NHL debut and just the second 2022-drafted player selected after the fifth round to see NHL ice, joining Utah’s Maksymilian Szuber. The 5’11”, 201-lb lefty has warranted a late-season look with a strong rookie showing in Abbotsford. He signed his entry-level deal back in 2023 amid a strong showing with the Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League, but the deal slid to 2024-25 since he didn’t see NHL action. The deal goes into effect this year regardless of how many NHL games he plays because he’s too old to be slide-eligible.
Kudryavtsev would be hard-pressed to imagine a better transition to pro hockey. He leads Abbotsford with a +17 rating and ranks second in scoring among defensemen with 5-21–26 in 63 games. Whether the Russian rearguard manages to snag an opening night roster spot next fall remains to be seen, but it’s clear early on he’s outpacing the development track of a typical late-round pick. Scott Wheeler of The Athletic labeled Kudryavtsev the No. 11 prospect in Vancouver’s system earlier this year.