Earlier this morning, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that defenseman Nikita Okhotyuk would be leaving the Calgary Flames organization to sign a two-year deal with CSKA Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League. Okhotyuk’s signing rights were traded in the KHL only four days ago in a swap between CSKA and Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod.
Okhotyuk became a solid prospect with the New Jersey Devils organization after being selected with the 61st overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft. Poised to be a defensive defenseman at the NHL level, Okhotyuk scored 10 goals and 47 points over 148 games with the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League after coming to North America for the start of the 2017-18 OHL season. Okhotyuk finished his junior career with a whopping +72 rating, which covered up for his subpar offensive output.
Okhotyuk’s prospect stock began to rise throughout his first couple of years with the Devils organization as he continued to display his knack for shutting down opponent’s top lines in the American Hockey League. His defensive prowess would eventually lead to Okhotyuk’s inclusion in one of the more high-profile trades of the 2022-23 season, as the Devils traded the young defenseman to the San Jose Sharks in a deal that would bring Timo Meier out east.
During his tenure with the Sharks, Okhotyuk displayed flashes of his defensive capabilities that made him such an important prospect in New Jersey but failed to move up the depth chart for San Jose in any meaningful way. Because of this, Okhotyuk was once again traded this past year, this time in a small move to the Flames organization.
Albeit otherwise unnoteworthy news to see a struggling depth defenseman in the NHL try his luck overseas, this transfer by Okhotyuk has already become quite controversial. Much like goaltender Ivan Fedotov’s situation with the Philadelphia Flyers before the beginning of the 2023-24 season, Okhotyuk’s contract appears to violate Article II.4.1 of the IIHF International Transfer Regulations which could lead to sanctions by the international governing body.
“Much like goaltender Ivan Fedotov’s situation with the Philadelphia Flyers before the beginning of the 2023-24 season, Okhotyuk’s contract appears to violate Article II.4.1 of the IIHF International Transfer Regulations which could lead to sanctions by the international governing body”
And, so goes the continuing saga of the KHL’s war with the IIHF…