The KHL is better than the AHL. There's no player like Tarasenko playing 6 seasons in the AHL or players like Radulov playing 8 seasons. Goalies are better too. On average the skills level is similar because there's too many teams but a young dman playing in the AHL will pretty much never face players of Tarasenko's or Radulov's quality those guys rarely stay in the AHL more than a few games.
KHL is somewhere between the AHL and the NHL.
Thing is a yuongster will not face Radulov or Tarasenko. Romanov looks better in the NHL than the KHL. Why is that? Is it because the KHL is also better than the NHL? Or Is it because in the KHL, they play kids 3 to 5 minutes?
Sure, the KHL is surely better than the AHL. But in no way will you convince me that you can better develop over there compared to the AHL.
In the end, when older, as I prove that with my table, players will have around the same stats in the AHL than the KHL. And AK at 22, was not able to do something offensively in the KHL.
Having said all of that....I like what I,m seeing from him. Remains to be seen if he'll develop and explode. He does seem to have some untapped potential. Thing is..often, those guys with untapped potential.....it stays untapped.