With the 50th pick of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the Carolina Hurricanes select Nikita Artamonov from the Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
About Nikita Artamonov
Artamonov began his 2022-23 season with his youth club, Reaktor Nizhnekamsk, the team he had broken in with the year prior, playing five games as a 16-year-old. After another five matches with Reaktor, he was traded to the Torpedo system. He finished his year with 29 points in 41 games with Chaika and played just over two minutes in a game against CSKA Moskva for Torpedo.
Artamonov joined Torpedo for their 2023-24 preseason games and stayed with the team for the entire season, apart from two games in junior. In 54 games, he amassed 23 points, the second-highest total for a draft-eligible player in KHL history, just one point behind Vladimir Tarasenko.
THW Prospect Profile Excerpt
“Heading into the 2024 NHL Draft, one of the most complete forwards available will be Nikita Artamonov, who spent the last year playing against men in the KHL despite being 18 years old. In 53 games played, he posted a solid 23 points when you take into account the competition he was competing against, but more impressive was his ability to drive play for his line whenever he took the ice.”
“Sure, he may not have elite playmaking abilities, but his skillset allows him to be a threat in the offensive and defensive zones, while his acute hockey IQ keeps him in the right place to make a play at all times. Also, while he is average-sized (5-foot-11), he understands how to use his strength to win puck battles in the corners or to chip in to help a teammate out when they make a mistake.”
“Every trade deadline, NHL teams spend future assets to acquire (often temporarily) the services of a player who has a similar skillset to Artamonov. What this means is there’s going to be a place in the league for him in a depth role on a third-line as soon as he is ready to make the transition from the KHL in a few years. However, there is a chance he could become a dynamic top-six who dominates both ends of the ice if he’s given the time to reach his full potential.”
How This Affects the Hurricanes’ Plans
The Hurricanes picked up a player midway in the second round who many thought would be taken in the last part of the first round and a type of player you can send out at any time, in any game, at any score, and he’ll deliver.
Already playing professional hockey in Russia, Artamonov put up historically strong numbers in his debut season in the KHL. He extended with Torpedo through the 2025-26 season, so he will likely get two more seasons of regular KHL hockey before potentially joining the Hurricane organization.
