Many Buffalo Sabres fans have closely followed the development of forward prospect Prokhor Poltapov, a second-round pick in the 2021 NHL draft, as he climbed the ranks of Russian hockey.
After a few years of minimal progress, Poltapov appeared to break through in 2024-25 with 40 points (17 goals and 23 assists) in 68 appearances for CSKA Moscow in the KHL. It represented terrific production for a 21-year-old winger in the world's second-best hockey league.
Poltapov, who also compiled a plus-16 rating last season, hasn't been able to build off that success in the early stages of the 2025-26 campaign, though. He's tallied just four goals and eight helpers across 25 games for the club based in Russia's capital city.
The lack of scoring raises renewed questions about whether the 2023 Gagarin Cup winner has stalled in his ascent toward the NHL.
Prokhor Poltapov now faces an uphill battle to eventually become an impact player for the Buffalo Sabres
There were a lot of discussions a year ago about when Poltapov would make the jump to North American hockey. It would have made sense to bring him over to the AHL's Rochester Americans for a few seasons before potentially joining the Sabres.
Alas, those ended when he signed a two-year contract extension with CSKA Moscow, which runs through the 2026-27 campaign.
Poltapov will be 24 when that deal ends, which creates a relatively narrow path for him to make the NHL leap. In all likelihood, he'd still require a year with the Amerks, so he'd be 25 before becoming a full-time option for the big club.
Research on hockey aging curves suggests a forward's production tends to peak in their mid-20s and begins a serious decline in their late-20s and early-30s.
If Poltapov doesn't debut for Buffalo until 24 or 25, it leaves a relatively small window for him to maximize his impact for the organization. If he signs another extension with his Russian club, the chance he ever becomes a full-time NHLer will reduce significantly.
Ultimately, it's realistic to think he may play his entire career in Russia.
It's too early for the Sabres to give up on him completely, though. The numbers he posted for CSKA Moscow finally started to showcase the offensive upside the franchise was betting on when it used the No. 33 overall pick on him four years ago.
Poltapov needs a resurgent finish to the KHL season to restock his stock as a prospect on the rise, and Buffalo's front office, whether it be led by Kevyn Adams or his potential replacement, needs to do everything in their power to get him to North America as soon as possible.
He's an exciting player to watch, which is why so many Sabres fans have kept close tabs on him, but his path to the NHL features a lot of hurdles.