The 2026 NHL Draft may have ended only a few days ago, but one Montreal Canadiens rookie is already making headlines for reasons beyond his on-ice potential.
A bold comment made during the pre-draft process has quickly gone viral, prompting some NHL analysts to urge the young prospect to let his game do the talking before taking aim at one of the league’s toughest players.
Canadiens Rookie Turns Heads With Tom Wilson Remark
In an interview with RG.org’s Daria Tuboltseva, the Canadiens’ 26th overall pick, Gleb Pugachyov, revealed an interesting question Montreal asked him during the team’s pre-draft meetings.
Knowing his reputation as a physical forward, the Canadiens presented him with a hypothetical scenario.
The Canadiens’ question was as follows: “You are a big player who hits everyone and is not afraid of anybody. Imagine that you already play for Montreal. We are facing Washington, you deliver a hard hit on one of their young players, and Tom Wilson immediately comes after you. Are you ready to fight him?”
Pugachyov didn’t hesitate with his answer. “Yes. I told them there would be nothing left of him.”
While the response may have impressed Montreal’s management, which has made adding size and toughness a priority, it also caught plenty of attention around the hockey world.
NHL analyst Jimmy Murphy believes the rookie may have gone a little too far before even playing his first NHL game. “Not sure a player who hasn’t played in the NHL yet should talk trash like this. Why put this target on yourself? Settle down, talk less and earn your stripes first!”
Murphy’s point reflects the challenge facing any young player entering the league.
Wilson is one of the NHL’s most feared physical players, with more than 100 career fights and a long history of intimidating opponents. Pugachyov, meanwhile, has played just 28 professional games in Russia across the KHL and VHL and hasn’t yet been involved in a professional fight.
Still, the Canadiens clearly see something they value in the 6-foot-3, 225-pound winger.
Rather than focusing solely on adding offensive talent after a successful 106-point season under Martin St-Louis, general manager Kent Hughes appears intent on adding more size, grit and physicality to complement Montreal’s skilled core.
Pugachyov is expected to spend next season with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in the KHL, where he’ll have an opportunity to continue his development before eventually making the move to North America.
When that day comes, many fans will undoubtedly remember the comment he made about Tom Wilson, and they’ll be eager to see if he can back it up on the ice.
