Salavat Yulaev Ufa defenseman Nikita Shcherbakov was awarded Rookie of the Week honors on Monday in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). The 18-years-old blueliner was picked by the New Jersey Devils in the second round of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, 44th overall pick.
In particular, Shcherbakov had a striking performance on Sunday. Salavat Yulaev defeated Spartak Moscow on home ice in Ufa, with the defenseman opening the score seven minutes into the first period and assisting the game-winning goal by Matthew Maggio in the closing seconds of the middle frame. With the teams tied at zero, Maggio led a break in Spartak’s offensive zone. The defense cleared the puck, but Shcherbakov recovered it firing a shot from the point that went in past Ivan Fedotov as Salavat Yulaev scored first in the game.
It was an excellent game for Shcherbakov, who is seeing an increasing role within the team led by former NHL great Viktor Kozlov. After six regular-season games, Salavat Yulaev is second in the Eastern Conference’s standings as the team is looking to get some postseason success after some financial troubles in the past couple of seasons. Throughout the week, he also delivered one hit, blocked two shots, and made one pass interception.
Sharing the ice with Shcherbakov in Ufa are Habs’ Alexander Zharovsky, Kraken’s Semyon Vyazovoi, among the others. Shcherbakov’s entry-level deal with Salavat Yulaev in the KHL will run out past the 2026-27 season.
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