Considering the direction his hockey career headed as one of the game's brightest stars, it'd be easy for someone to roll their eyes when comparing a fourth-round pick to Johnny Gaudreau. However, it's easy to forget that he was once a fourth-round pick himself because of his size, but after tearing the NCAA apart at Boston College, Gaudreau became one of the NHL's most prolific offensive players.
The Boston Bruins aren't expecting Matvei Kotkov to be the next Gaudreau, but there certainly are some interesting parallels, according to Byron Bader.
Thought this was neat on draft day...
— Byron Bader (@ByronMBader) July 3, 2026
Matvei Kotkov taken in the 4th round, 104th overall in 2026.
His model profile at the draft nearly identical to Johnny Gaudreau when he was drafted in 2011... 4th round, 104th overall.
Both born in August and were one of the youngest… pic.twitter.com/g1J1HsXKZN
If it isn't enough that Kotkov and Gaudreau were both taken in the fourth round, 104th overall, they were also both born in August, making them two of the youngest players in their respective draft classes. Those late birthdays give players additional development time, which sometimes leads teams to get steals down the road, much like the Calgary Flames with Gaudreau.
Bader has a forecasting system to attempts to project players' futures, and Kotkov looks like he is following on a similar path as Gaudreau's pre-draft years. He is similarly undersized, albeit standing two inches taller thgan Gaudreau did, and also has a similar skillset with his puck-handling abilities, elusiveness, and elite vision and playmaking.
Many didn't know what to expect from Kotkov at development camp, but he was one of the players that stood out thanks to the unknowns. He entered the camp with limited expectations from the fans, but his high offensive upside made him a name that many people in attendance couldn't stop mentioning.
The Bruins selected Loko Yaroslavl RW/LW Matvei Kotkov in the 4th round (104th overall) of the ‘26 NHL Draft.
— Jack Aylmer (@Jack_Aylmer) June 29, 2026
6’0”, 183 lbs and 17 years old. Had 14 goals and 17 assists in 36 MHL regular season games last season. Team playoff MVP after posting 9 goals and 6 assists in 18 games. pic.twitter.com/uwz3NfTLu2
Kotkov was a late bloomer in the Russian junior league this season, eventually leading his team to the championship and winning the playoff MVP. He still has a long way to go, and playing in Russia instead of Boston College won't help him make even more of a name with himself with the Bruins, but he is someone that the front office will keep an eye on
It took Gaudreau three years of college after his draft year to make his NHL debut. You have to believe another year of junior in Russia, along with a potential KHL stint, could have Kotkov on a similar path. Once he then comes over and gets comfortable with the North American style, it could be even longer than three years. However, his upside is worth monitoring if he startst tearing up the MHL or KHL.
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