Top prospect drafted in first round refusing to join NHL organization

Mikhail Gulyayev was almost a Montreal Canadien, but right before the Habs were set to make their selection, they traded this pick and a second round pick to the Colorado Avalanche for Alex Newhook. Gulyayev has stated that he would have enjoyed being part of Montreal's organization, however that never ended up happening. Perhaps that left him with a sour taste in his mouth, as he is now giving the Colorado Avalanche a headache.

Gulyayev has made it clear to the Avalanche that if their plans are to send him to the AHL, he will not be coming to North America and would rather just stay in Russia. Colorado journalist Evan Rawal provided further details.

This isn't too much of a good look on Gulyayev's attitude, but he's definitely made his point clear that it's NHL or nothing for him. This means that if the Avs choose to go that route, they won't be seeing him until at least 2026 or maybe even 2027, as he is not ready yet for the NHL. Gulyayev has also just signed a contract extension in the KHL that will keep him there until the end of the 2026 season, although recent rule changes could still allow Colorado to bring him over if they really wanted to.

No one knows for sure if the Habs would have selected Gulyayev had they retained their 31st overall pick, but clearly there is some frustration setting in between the player and the Colorado Avalanche.

Mikhail Gulyayev is only 19, and while he is not the tallest of defensemen in the game, standing at just 5'10", he did score 12 points in 64 KHL games last season and provides a lot of speed for his team.

Source: Habs Fanatics
Recent 1st round pick refuses to come to North America to play in the AHL

Source: HockeyDB
Mikhail Gulyayev Stats