Avangard Omsk will reach the Kontinental Hockey League playoffs despite a difficult start to the regular season, according to former forward Maxim Sushinsky. The team sits last in the Eastern Conference standings after collecting 12 points from 13 games under head coach Guy Boucher.

Injuries and Roster Depth Behind the Slow Start

Sushinsky stated that the primary reason for Avangard’s early struggles is a heavy wave of injuries that sidelined key contributors and drained the lineup’s depth. “Avangard will pull through — 100%. The main problem is a large number of injuries due to which the team sagged. When the leaders return, they will start playing and score their points. At least, Avangard will definitely get into the playoffs,” Sushinsky said.

Supporting that assessment, two-time Olympic champion Alexander Kozhevnikov told SuperOmsk that the club had up to eight key players out of the lineup during the worst of the injury crisis. Kozhevnikov noted that returning players need time to regain their competitive rhythm because practicing with the team differs significantly from playing game-speed minutes. With more than 50 games remaining in the regular season, Kozhevnikov pointed out that the points gap separating Avangard from the playoff cutoff remains narrow enough to bridge with a sustained winning streak.

Coaching Decisions and Ice Time Debate

While the front office and former players point to the medical room, analysts and former players have split over the tactical decisions made by head coach Guy Boucher. Former KHL player Nikita Щитов defended the coaching staff in an interview with Match TV, rejecting criticism that Boucher overworks his top players by logging heavy minutes immediately after they return from injuries.

“I don’t agree that Boucher overloads players,” Shchitov told Match TV, pointing to the heavier workloads handled by elite hockey players in the National Hockey League without physical decline. Shchitov added that the coaching staff has proven experience and deserves time for the roster to reintegrate its leaders before external conclusions are drawn.

Conversely, regional outlet Omsk-inform highlighted sharper criticism regarding structural control on the ice, noting concerns over whether the roster is executing the coaching staff’s system effectively during tight matches. The Omsk club holds a goal differential built on 22 goals scored—the lowest mark in the East and ahead of only FC Sochi across the entire league.

Standings Context and Upcoming Schedule

The Hawks captured a notable 4–2 victory against Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg at home, a result that lifted the club temporarily out of the absolute basement into ninth place in the East before subsequent fixtures. Avangard reached the Gagarin Cup semifinals last spring before bowing out to Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in a seven-game series, raising expectations that have gone unmet through the opening autumn weeks.