Boston Bruins prospect Kirill Yemelyanov is wasting no time making his presence felt in Russia.
The 2025 sixth-round pick has already put together a strong preseason showing for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, and on Tuesday morning he was given a big opportunity: the 19-year-old centered the club’s top line in Blinov Cup action and came through with a goal and an assist. For a player taken that late in the draft, that kind of usage stands out immediately.
It also wasn’t a one-off flash. Yemelyanov has been turning heads throughout the preseason, and while Lokomotiv’s lineup did not feature every major name, the fact that he was trusted in a first-line role is a meaningful sign. In Russia, young players usually have to be exceptional to earn that sort of look, and Lokomotiv appears to believe the Bruins prospect belongs in that conversation.
The performance fits the shape of Yemelyanov’s rise over the past year. After the draft, he put together a breakout 2025-26 season in the MHL, finishing with 57 points in 55 games and 32 goals. His defensive habits and two-way game were part of what made him appealing in the first place, but the scoring numbers added a new layer to his profile.
He carried that momentum into the playoffs, where he led the postseason in goals with 10 and scored the Kharlamov Cup-winning goal for his team. That kind of finish only sharpened the case that he may have been overlooked in the 2025 draft.
Yemelyanov likely would have landed higher in a different year, but Russia’s ban from IIHF competition has limited some of the scouting exposure for players in the region. If the Bruins really did find a steal, this preseason is starting to show it.
He still has work to do before reaching Lokomotiv’s full-time KHL lineup, but the early signs are pointing in that direction. And with other offensive prospects drawing plenty of attention in the Bruins system, Lokomotiv is suddenly a team worth watching a little more closely this season.
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