The KHL’s Shanghai Dragons continue to fill out their roster ahead of their first season under their new name. Today, they announced the signing of four forwards with considerable North American experience – Ivan Chekhovich, Max Ellis, Nate Sucese, and Riley Sutter.
Chekhovich is the only one with NHL experience. The 5’10” winger was a seventh-round pick by the Sharks in 2017 and, after some standout offensive showings with the QMJHL’s Baie-Comeau Drakkar, looked like a potential steal. Unfortunately, his offense dried up as soon as he reached the pros. He only ever got a four-game call-up to San Jose in 2020-21, recording an assist and a -3 rating in 10:29 of ice time per game.
The Russian native only managed 32 points in 70 games for the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda in parts of four seasons. When his entry-level contract expired in 2022, the Sharks issued him a qualifying offer to retain his rights, but he ended up signing in the KHL with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. He’s remained in Russia ever since, and San Jose is set to lose his signing rights on July 1 next year.
The 26-year-old has been inconsistent since returning home, but could be one of the Dragons’ higher-ceiling scoring options. He scored a career-high 36 points in 47 games for Vityaz Moscow Region, which has paused operations due to financial instability, last season.
Joining him on the wing will be the undersized Ellis, a former Maple Leafs undrafted free agent signing out of Notre Dame. The 25-year-old had 34 points in 87 games for AHL Toronto in parts of three seasons before his signing rights were traded to the Stars in June 2024 for the rights to then-pending UFA Chris Tanev. Ellis did not sign with Dallas and instead landed in Finland with Liiga’s Jukurit, where he had 18 points in 25 games last season before going point-per-game in five relegation contests to help them stay in the top flight next season.
Sucese, also a 5’9″ former undrafted free agent signing, has a longer pro track record. The 29-year-old has spent the last five seasons in the AHL in the Coyotes, Wild, Hurricanes, and Rangers organizations on two-way NHL deals and minor-league contracts. He heads overseas for the first time after posting a 52-57–109 scoring line in 276 career AHL contests, including 28 points in 56 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack last year.
Shanghai will be just the second pro team in Sutter’s pro career. The bulky 25-year-old center was a third-round pick by the Capitals in 2018, and while he’s remained under NHL contract with the team up until this summer, he never took the ice for the big club and played exclusively for AHL Hershey. The son of former Flyers captain Ron Sutter is a two-time Calder Cup champion with the Bears and had 65 points in 279 games for them before becoming a Group VI unrestricted free agent this year.