HC Traktor Chelyabinsk vs Shanghai Dragons Prediction 26 November 2025

The Chelyabinsk team has been in the spotlight recently. At the beginning of November, the club management delighted local fans by bringing back Vitali Kravtsov from Vancouver. The star forward has scored points in four out of five matches played, leaving no room for criticism at the moment. Concerns have been directed towards goaltender Chris Driedger, who failed to secure his place in the KHL and recently agreed to terminate his contract with Traktor. It's worth noting that renowned coach Benoit Groulx is no longer with Chelyabinsk. The coaching staff is now comprised of Groulx's assistant Raphael Riche and Russian specialist Yevgeny Koreshkov, who has experience working with Fedorov and Nikitin. The "Traktorists" urgently need to tighten up their defense, as conceding 10 goals last week is not a way out of the crisis.

The "Dragons" remain among the top eight teams in the Western Conference. Last week, they played three games and collected five points, only dropping a point in a shootout loss to Ak Bars (3-2 SO). The end of the second period was poorly managed by Gerard Gallant's squad, allowing Kazan's forwards to score twice. On the upside, the team from Shanghai has improved their discipline, taking only four penalties over the last two games. In their most recent matchup against Ak Bars, the current visitors led for much of the game thanks to the efforts of their bottom lines, showcasing their ability to win without relying solely on their North American contingent led by Merkley and Labanc. Defensemen Bischoff and Groleau remain sidelined in Shanghai's injury list, while newly signed Wyatt Kalynuk is gearing up to secure his spot on the roster.