He was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the 6th round, 162nd overall, in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft as a center. While playing in Russia, Markov made the switch to defense in order to see more ice time. After being considered one of the best defensemen in Russia in 2000, he came over to North America and split time with the Canadiens and their then-minor league affiliate, the Quebec Citadelles of the AHL. After rounding out his defensive game, he has become a regular in the Canadiens starting line-up and is widely considered to be one of their best overall defensemen.

 

During the 2004-05 NHL lockout, he played in his native Russia with HC Dynamo Moscow.

 

Markov signed a four-year deal with the Canadiens on May 28, 2007, keeping him with the team through the 2010-11 season. Markov was set to become an unrestricted free agent.