Artyom Duda leaves KHL for University of Maine

Artyom Duda, the 6’1”, 187-pound left-shot defenseman from Russia, has left the KHL and its junior leagues to continue his growth and development in North America. What does this mean for him and the team that drafted him?

Dudas development and growth

Artyom played 14 games in the MHL, scoring five goals and 13 points playing a leading offensive role for his team, and then played 14 games for CSKA Moskva and recorded three assists. Young guys playing in the KHL usually take a while before they get the kind of minutes to really help them grow and nurture their game forward. That is something that should come far easier with the smooth-skating defenseman set to play a major role for a Maine team that set itself up well for a potential title run. Duda should see some PP1 opportunities where he did really well in the MHL before not getting those same opportunities in the KHL. Maine will give him both the minutes and usage to help him grow his all-around game. This is a major win-win for both Maine and Duda. This will be a really exciting year for the young rearguard to see what he does with these new opportunities.

AZ Coyotes

The Coyotes get the benefit of having him in the States, where the team’s developmental coaches will be able to get a closer eye on his development and more opportunities to interact with him. With the issues right now in Russia, having him in North America this soon is a major step towards signing Duda and seeing him play games for the NHL club at some point in the near future.

Dudas Future

I could see Duda playing 1-2 years with Maine before signing a contract with the Coyotes, then a year potentially with their AHL affiliate Tucson Roadrunners before making the big league roster. This is likely a faster route than had he stayed overseas and signed a KHL deal that would’ve locked him into multiple seasons in Russia. Keep a close eye on this young stud. In my personal opinion, prior to the 23 NHL Draft, he is the Coyotes best Defensive prospect and has a bright future as a puck mover and PP quarterback. His skating and passing abilities will be a huge asset as the Coyotes start to come out of their rebuild.