Montreal Canadiens

Gleb Pugachyov: His season (and his physical condition) are starting to get back on track
Félix Forget
Gleb Pugachyov: His season (and his physical condition) are starting to get back on track
Credit: Capture d'écran/Twitter

Over the past few weeks, there's been a lot of talk about Gleb Pugachyov's struggles in Russia. The Canadiens' most recent first-round pick was struggling on the ice… and he was barely getting any playing time.

That was certainly cause for concern, let's be honest.

That said, things seem to be turning around for Pugachyov in Russia. The kid, who's back in the MHL, has started getting ice time again… and he even scored his first goal of the season on Monday.

And since then, Pugachyov has been on a nice streak. He recorded an assist on Wednesday, then scored another goal yesterday. So he's now on a three-game streak with at least one point.

But what's even more reassuring is that Grant McCagg, who analyzed the kid's last game, believes the young player's physical condition has really improved. He seems to have lost a few pounds, and that might be linked to his hot scoring streak.

We know that since the start of the season, there's been a lot of talk about Pugachyov's physical condition. He gained about 30 pounds before the season started… and he's looked pretty slow on the ice ever since.

Have they used the last few weeks to get him back in shape quickly? Possibly.

Obviously, a streak like this (especially in the MHL) isn't going to completely put the Habs' minds at ease about their prospect's season. That said, it's still a step in the right direction that's worth noting.

If he can continue to dominate in the MHL and eventually earn ice time in the KHL, it will benefit his development. But for now, just seeing him get back on track is a good sign.

In Brief

– Enjoy the show.

– Wow.

– One to watch.