Barys Astana vs Traktor Chelyabinsk Prediction 7 September 2025
🔊 Barys Astana will kick off their KHL regular season with a home clash against Traktor Chelyabinsk. Last season was a complete disaster for the Kazakh club, as they had no chance, not even a slim one, of making the playoffs by winter. Meanwhile, the visitors have already started their campaign, albeit not too successfully.
Head-to-Head
Since 2024, the rivals have clashed six times, and in every encounter, the current visitors have emerged victorious. The visitors' dominance has been so overwhelming that they have managed to completely thrash their opponents on three occasions during this period. A telling statistic is the aggregate score of the last three head-to-head matchups-16:5 in favor of Traktor.
Head-to-head statistics Barys Astana - Traktor Chelyabinsk
Barys Astana Team Overview
In Astana, they surely aimed to forget last season as quickly as possible. While the Kazakh club hasn't reached the playoffs for quite some time, last year was a complete disaster, even by their generally negative standards. This summer, Barys underwent a major overhaul. Mikhail Kravets took over as the new head coach, and more than half of the roster was revamped. It's too early to draw long-term conclusions, but the hosts have won three out of their five preseason games and even put up a real fight against Metallurg Magnitogorsk (1-2). Mason Morelli stands out in particular; although he couldn't secure a spot with Vegas, he looks quite solid in the KHL so far.
Match Results: Barys Astana
Traktor Chelyabinsk Team Overview
Chelyabinsk Traktor came just a few steps away from the Gagarin Cup last season. Over the summer, the club underwent significant changes. Now, leading the first offensive line is Josh Leivo, last season's top scorer in the KHL. Leivo boasts an impressive NHL career, having played for Vancouver, Calgary, and St. Louis. He's already made his mark with his new team. In the Opening Cup match, which the visitors lost to Lokomotiv in a shootout (1-2), the Canadian provided an assist to Pierrick Dubé.
Match Results: Traktor Chelyabinsk
🏒 Projected Lineups
Barys: Shutov - Walsh, Masi - Vecchione, Morelli, Galimov
Traktor: Driedger - Dronov, Telegin - Der-Arguchintsev, Svetlakov, Leivo
🥅 Goalkeepers
Barys' goalie Andrey Shutov tried his luck with Bratislava's Slovan last season before returning home. While he didn't have the chance to push the club into playoff contention, the netminder is now aiming for a fresh start.
Traktor's goaltender Chris Driedger delivered a phenomenal performance in the season opener. The Canadian stopped 34 out of 35 shots on goal, keeping his team in the game until the very end. In fact, it was his efforts that allowed Chelyabinsk to equalize late and secure a respectable result.
Editor's Prediction
Yes, the upcoming clash marks the home opener for the Astana club, which will undoubtedly serve as a motivational boost. However, their roster and the quality of play leave much to be desired, clearly positioning them as underdogs in the East who haven't improved over the summer. On the other hand, the visitors have secured the KHL's top scorer and are poised to make strides this season. The first game of the 2025/26 season has already shown that Chelyabinsk are not lacking in character. This matchup leans more towards a rout than a close contest. Our bet is on Traktor to win with a -1.5 handicap.No comments
Betting Tips: Barys Astana - Traktor Chelyabinsk
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