Traktor Chelyabinsk vs Salavat Yulaev Ufa Prediction 18 February 2026
🔊 A crucial match awaits as both teams have nearly secured their playoff spots. Traktor and Salavat Yulaev are battling for a higher seed to avoid facing top-3 teams in the first round. Let's delve into the head-to-head history and the latest team news ahead of this regular-season KHL matchup on February 18. KHL
Head-to-Head
📊 Over the past five seasons, Traktor and Salavat Yulaev have clashed 15 times in the KHL regular season: Ufa claimed victory in 12 of those encounters, while Chelyabinsk won three. The teams have faced off twice in the Gagarin Cup playoffs over the last five years, with Traktor winning both series 4-2, in 2022 and 2024.
In the 2025/26 season, the teams traded home victories-Traktor triumphed in Chelyabinsk (2-1), while Salavat Yulaev emerged victorious in Ufa (3-2). Alexander Kadeikin, the forward for the Southern Urals team, tallied three points in these matches (0 goals, 3 assists).
Head-to-head statistics Traktor Chelyabinsk - Salavat Yulaev Ufa
Traktor Chelyabinsk Team Overview
Traktor's four-game winning streak came to an end with a 2-6 defeat against Avangard in Omsk. During this streak, Evgeny Koreshkov's squad secured victories over Sibir (3-1), Ak Bars (4-0), Amur (6-5), and Admiral (3-2). This winning run helped the Bears close the gap to just one point behind the sixth spot in the East, even surpassing Neftekhimik in points lost.
With 174 goals scored (an average of 3.2 per game), Traktor rank among the top three highest-scoring teams in the Eastern Conference. However, discipline remains an issue for the Chelyabinsk side, as they lead the East in penalty minutes with 506 (averaging nine minutes per game).
In the game against Avangard, Josh Leivo returned to the ice for Traktor, recording a season-worst -3 in plus/minus rating. Alexander Rykov and Alexei Rykmanov were not included in the lineup, with Mikhail Goryunov-Rolgizer taking Rykmanov's place on the fourth line. In his 200th KHL game, forward Andrey Nikonov did not register any points.
Match Results: Traktor Chelyabinsk
Salavat Yulaev Ufa Team Overview
The Ufa team arrived in Saint Petersburg earlier this week riding a six-game winning streak, including a triumph over league leaders Metallurg (4-3 SO). However, their clash against SKA (0-4) did not go as planned for the squad from Bashkortostan. Numerous penalties, mistakes, and forced defensive play were not part of the visitors' game plan.
Despite the setback, Ufa remain in fifth place. Coach Viktor Kozlov's team is currently avoiding a first-round matchup against the top three teams, but a slip-up in Chelyabinsk could see them drop one or even two positions. Before the game in Saint Petersburg, Kozlov made no changes to the line combinations.
On the road, Salavat Yulaev have not lost two consecutive games since mid-December, winning six of their last eight away matches. However, their away performance remains a concern due to low scoring (2.3 goals per game) and goals allowed (2.7 goals per game).
Match Results: Salavat Yulaev Ufa
⚡️ Key Players
Josh Leivo and Mikhail Grigorenko remain in the top 10 scorers of the current regular season. The Canadian boasts 51 points (22 goals, 29 assists) and holds the title of the team's leading goal scorer, while the Russian has tallied 49 points (20 goals, 29 assists). One of the league's top-scoring defensemen, Grigory Dronov, has recorded points in four of his last five games (2 goals, 3 assists).
Salavat Yulaev's top scorer and playmaker is 18-year-old Alexander Zharovsky with 37 points (13 goals, 24 assists), while Jack Rodewald leads in goals with 17. Sheldon Rempal carries a significant offensive load for Ufa, leading all forwards in the league with an average of 21 minutes of ice time per game.
🥅 Goaltenders
For the second consecutive game, Traktor's coaching staff has entrusted the net to Dmitry Nikolaev, who joined in late January. Against Admiral and Avangard, he allowed eight goals while making 74 saves. Previously the primary goalie, Sergei Mylnikov remains on the bench for a second game following a tough outing in Khabarovsk.
Semyon Vyazovoy stands as one of the KHL leaders in save percentage at 93.0%. The 22-year-old Salavat goaltender has been in net for eight straight games without substitution and participated in two mini-games during the KHL All-Star Game in early February. Nonetheless, since late December, Vyazovoy's save percentage has dipped below 90% only once, in a matchup against SKA.
Editorial Prediction
Both teams suffered heavy defeats in their previous outings, making it crucial to bounce back from such losses. Over the past few seasons, both Salavat Yulaev and Traktor have lost by a four-goal margin in regular season games four times each-following these losses, Ufa scored at least six goals in three out of four subsequent matches, while Traktor netted at least seven in all four of theirs.
Moreover, head-to-head clashes between these teams in Chelyabinsk have seen at least five goals in six of the last seven encounters, including playoff games. Considering their desire to make amends for recent defeats and the historical scoring trends, it seems reasonable to bet on total goals over 5 in the match.
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Betting Tips: Traktor Chelyabinsk - Salavat Yulaev Ufa
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