Kanunnikov joined Zenit U21s in 2009 and shortly after started to train with the first team, appearing on the bench on occasion.

He finally made his Premier League debut on 23 August 2009, coming as a last-minute substitute against Lokomotiv Moscow.

[3] On 27 July 2018, he signed a one-year contract with Krylia Sovetov Samara.

[5] He made his debut for the Russia national football team on 26 May 2014 in a friendly game against Slovakia, replacing Alan Dzagoev at half time in a 1–0 win at Petrovsky Stadium.

[7] He made his competitive debut for Russia in the second group game against Belgium on 22 June, playing the entire 90 minutes of the 1–0 defeat at the Maracanã.