With the expectation that training camps will be starting within the next few weeks, several players who had been loaned overseas have started to make the trek back to North America. The latest to do so is Senators winger Vitali Abramov as Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that Abramov has left his team in Finland to fly to Ottawa and begin his self-quarantine period.
The 22-year-old fared well in what wound up being limited action with Jukurit of the SM-liiga as injuries limited him to just eight games. However, Abramov made the most of those contests, picking up five goals and two assists. He has been a productive scorer in the minors and notched 18 goals and 23 assists in 51 games with AHL Belleville last season and as a result, he’s expected to be among those considered for one of the final roster spots with the Sens. If that doesn’t happen, however, Jukurit GM Jukka Holtar indicated that Abramov could return to Finland this season:
Naturally, we hope that he will get a place in the NHL, but, if that doesn’t happen, we’ll have to (think) seriously (about bringing him back) for the rest of the season. We’ve been in regular contact with Ottawa and have been very pleased. It’s known there the activities here are of high quality, and for them Jukurit is one of the absolute options.
While it’s the final year of Abramov’s entry-level contract, going back to Finland may be a good idea, especially with the AHL season expected to be truncated (and in Belleville’s case, they’ll only play three other Canadian-based teams for their entire campaign). It’s also not slated to start until early February, assuming it isn’t pushed back for the second time so if he is cut, returning overseas would guarantee him getting back into game action earlier. Of course, Abramov’s focus will be on earning a spot with the Senators next month but if that doesn’t happen, he will have some options.