Marat Khusnutdinov #22 (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Ever since 22-year-old Marat Khusnutdinov signed his entry-level contract last spring, his adventure in the NHL has been a positive experience with the Minnesota Wild. The Wild, who did not make the playoffs last season, have not lost one of their seven opening games in regulation and are among the top three teams in the Western Conference.
Head coach John Hynes and team superstar Kirill Kaprizov cite the team's dramatically improved defense and penalty kill as the main reason for this; allowing an average of only two goals against per game, good for third best in the NHL.
Khusnutdinov, despite his young age, is routinely used on the penalty kill, with his role as a center requiring a lot of defensive commitment from him right off the hop in his NHL career. According to Hynes and Kaprizov, the young forward is already playing with much more confidence than when he first made his way over to the NHL earlier this year.
“I can already say that I have gotten used to the new league,” said Khusnutdinov during an interview with RG. “I came back to Minnesota earlier this summer to be well-prepared for training camp; and, by the start of the camp, I was completely focused on hockey. The difference between the NHL and the KHL is, of course, notable; especially the game's speed. But now I’m pretty used to it.”
On top of getting used to the pace of the NHL, Khusnutdinov has also had to adapt to his new role.
Throughout his time in the MHL and the KHL, with SKA and Sochi, Khusnutdinov played primarily in a top-six role, with his coaches expecting consistent offensive production. However, being a bottom-six center requires more particular attention to defensive play. Despite an average ice time of 12:37 so far this season, the youngster seems comfortable in his new role.
“I take what they give me,” said Khusnutdinov. “I understand that they’re not going to give me everything at once, and that you must prove yourself to get more ice time in this league. When you play on a team’s bottom-six and on the penalty kill, you must go out there and bring value to the team in any way you can. I work on face-offs every day; it’s an important skill for a center.”
Learning and Growing Under Strong Guidance
Judging by Hynes' comments that Khusnutdinov is “good at face-offs”, his hard work is paying off. Despite taking draws in Russia, many were surprised that even in North America, where many Russian centers shift to the wing, Marat quickly adapted his game to fit the team’s needs.
The youngster credits his coach for being able to adapt so quickly to his new environment.
“We have good practices. He explains everything from start to finish, especially when I first got here,” said Khusnutdinov. “New strategies, a new system – but thanks to the time he took with me, I understood everything much faster. The coaching staff showed a lot of tape, analyzed everything; isolated shifts, defensive situations, offensive situations. All this really helped me gel with the team. He’s an excellent coach!"
In the spring, he made journalists laugh by calling his star compatriot Kaprizov “a good, free taxi”. When asked if Kirill is on the clock as his personal driver, Marat laughingly answers:
“No, now I have a car, I drive myself and have mastered all the necessary routes. Kirill has helped me with many things since I got here. He is always there. He’s not only the team's leading player, but also a person you can always rely on.”
However, Khusnutdinov emphasizes that he not only tries to communicate with his fellow Russians in Kaprizov and Yakov Trenin, but also with all his teammates. Fortunately, as he says, his English is pretty good, and his teammates welcomed him with open arms.
When asked to discuss Minnesota's early success this season, he initially flipped the question back our way: “I would ask you as an expert (laughing).”
Khusnutdinov then explained more about how things have worked internally to allow for such a strong start to the season.
“We’re the same team, but we prepared well for the season during the summer. The guys also came to Minnesota early, had a good training camp, tried to improve their game.”
Reflecting on His KHL Journey and Future Aspirations
When asked where it was more difficult to gain a foothold, Minnesota or SKA, he answered the NHL without any hesitation. But he does not regret that he decided to play in Russia until he was 22 rather than go to the Canadian junior leagues before the draft. He showed gratitude to head coach and vice-president of SKA Roman Rotenberg despite being sent to Sochi to finish up his KHL career.
“Many thanks to Roman Rotenberg's system. I made my way to SKA’s main roster, and they gave me some good minutes. As a youngster, I spent enough time on the ice with veterans, and it played an important part in my career and my life. I think I chose the right path. No one knows what would have happened if they had done differently.”
In Sochi, as before in SKA, Khusnutdinov played on the same team and often on the same line with the rising star of the Philadelphia Flyers, Matvei Michkov. He reacts with bewilderment to the words of several Russian hockey experts, who talk about Michkov's difficult character.
“Do they know him? There is nothing wrong with the fact that he is prickly on the ice. A good player, a good guy. Both in life and on the ice.”
Having spent the end of the 2023-24 season with the Wild, Khusnutdinov “burned” the first tear of his entry-level contract, allowing him to sign an extension as early as July 1, 2025. It makes this season somewhat of a “contract” year for him, but, despite the financial implications, it’s not holding him back.
“On the contrary, it gives motivation,” he said. “You have to show your game right away, without a moment’s notice.”
Even if he only has one assist in his first seven games of the season, he has already become an important part of the team, plays in every game, and plays as best as he can every night.
As he says, “I take what they give me”, and it’s the right way to the best hockey league in the world.
Igor Rabiner
