Chistyakov had a strong post-season for Avangard Omsk after a breakout 2024-25 in the KHL. He has emerged as an offensive defenseman to watch in fantasy leagues, though his KHL contract runs through 2025-26. There are rumors that Omsk is going to push for an extension (but that’s just logic 101). Chistyakov led all KHL defensemen in goals with 19 and is logging over 20 minutes of ice time per game. His fantasy value will skyrocket if he signs an NHL contract, but that is looking like it’s 50/50 at this point. –

Chistyakov remains a long-term project for the Predators. The offensive upside remains limited, but he has the tools to be a solid two-way defender on the bottom pair. At just 20 years old, he already has 72 KHL games under his belt, which is massive for a player of his age. I project him to remain in Russia for at least two more seasons, but depending on how his upcoming year goes, he could come over even sooner.

At the end of the season, Chystyakov made solid strides in his development. He endured regular minutes in a full season on the back end with Avangard Omsk playing. Despite Russia stumbling at the World Juniors, Chystyakov was exposed to more highly skilled opposition and fared well playing in all situations and scoring three points in seven games. The future is encouraging for the Predators’ fourth-round selection.

Chystyakov has played very well thus far in his KHL rookie season. His transition from the MHL has been seamless and his steady play on the blueline for Avangard Omsk has shown off his versatility and consistency. Along with a few other Predators prospects, Chystyakov earned a gold medal for Russia in the Karjala Cup in November and has also been named to the Russian World Junior team.

After some steady play and impressive points totals of 21 points over 36 games in the MHL last season for Tolfa Ufa and Omskie Yastreby, Chystyakov has made the transition to the KHL and is playing for Avangard Omsk. He continues to show improvements each season and while the stature may be slight, his play speaks for itself.

It was a strong season for Chystyakov as his development took a big step forward. He doubled his point production from the previous year in the MHL. With a smaller frame, Chystyakov relies on his agility and lateral movement to angle off oncoming forwards. While Chystyakov grew offensively, he maintained his tenacious and engaging style in his own end. Much of his game mirrors the emerging style of today’s smaller defenders and if he continues to grow his game at this pace, Nashville may have found a real gem.

Chystyakov is a strong 2-way defender out of Ufa of the Russian MHL league. He is described as having a strong skating style and uses the strength from the bottom half of his core to engage with oncoming forwards physically. Chystyakov plays tough along the wall and holds his own defending his crease. While most of his strengths are showcased inside his own blueline, he can unload a heavy slap shot and is comfortable shooting the one-timer, making him a capable powerplay option when needed. Chystyakov has an excellent 2019 season internationally representing Russia a number of times, often medaling in events. Predators supporterswill need to be patient as Chystyakov is likely to continue to round out his game in Russia. –