New Jersey Devils Prospect Named Top 10 KHL Youngster for December

The KHL released their December 'youngster report' on Sunday, which featured a host of notable NHL prospects. CSKA Moscow defenseman Artyom Barabosha was the lone representative for the New Jersey Devils.

Barabosha, 19, was drafted by the Devils 198th overall in the seventh round of the 2022 NHL Draft. The 6-foot-2 blueliner was given a rating of 2.05 on the report, which ties him with Philadelphia Flyers prospect Alexei Kolosov for ninth.

KHL TV commentator Anton Vasyatin had this to say about Barabosha: A right-handed defenseman is a scarce position, so it’s always great for teams if such a player initially develops within the club’s system. In this regard, CSKA is fortunate with Artyom Barabosha. The large-framed blueliner made his debut in the league at the end of November and had a solid stretch in the early winter days. He contributed with assists in games against Traktor and Metallurg, and after the league break, he impressed by scoring against SKA. Although that goal didn’t affect the outcome (CSKA lost 2:6), it demonstrated that Barabosha could stand out not only with aggressive and tough play in his zone, which was his characteristic trait even in the JHL but also by helping the team beyond the opponent’s blue line. Despite relatively modest playing time (sometimes less than ten minutes per game), the defenseman consistently directed shots on goal in almost every game, recorded 10 hits, and blocked 7 shots.

The Devils' prospect pipeline is chock-full of quality defenders, and it looks like they have another good one in Barabosha. The Devils already have Simon Nemec, Daniil Misyul, and Luke Hughes signed and playing within the organization, and Barabosha and Seamus Casey are among the notable unsigned defensemen.

With Dougie Hamilton, Colin Miller, and Brendan Smith all 30 years old or older, it would be beneficial for the Devils to have more young defenders coming up. Barabosha gives them another.