Stepan Gorbunov

October 2024 – Gorbunov started his season off hot in the MHL, with Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk playing over 20 minutes a night in the first six games. His play earned him his first professional call-up playing in the VHL. While held scoreless, Gorbunov got his first taste of higher competition. It did something because he scored four goals and eight points in two games when he was sent to the MHL. He dominated puck possession in these games and displayed a high-end puck protection ability. Gorbunov stayed hot when he was back in the VHL, going on a six-game point streak against professional competition and scoring seven points in his last seven VHL games. The offense is starting to come together for Gorbunov, and he will become an integral member of his club’s KHL team one day. He looks much more confident and is making the right strides. If Gorbunov can stay hot, he may earn an NHL contract next summer when his contract in Russia expires. James Connelly

July 2024 – Gorbunov’s draft year numbers may look subpar, but there is more to the story than just what they show. Standing at 6-5, Gorbunov has an NHL frame and is one of the youngest players from the 2024 draft class, less than a week away from being eligible for the 2025 draft. He split time between being a forward and defenseman and being an all-around utility player for Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk. He skates decently for his size and will need to make that a strong point in his game if he wants to stick at the highest level, but with such a raw player, there is loads of intrigue about what is to come for him. James Connelly