For the last three seasons, Domenick Fensore has been a productive defenseman in the minors but his NHL opportunities have been limited. As a result, it appears as if he’s exploring other options for next season. Among those being pondered is the KHL as Sport-Express’ Artur Khairullin reports that Fensore is considering potential opportunities in that league.
The 24-year-old was a third-round pick by Carolina back in 2019, going 90th overall. Fensore played out his full college eligibility at Boston University, taking big strides offensively in the final two seasons where he collected 31 points in each. That earned him a contract from the Hurricanes for the 2023-24 season.
Beyond a brief stint in the ECHL early in his rookie year, Fensore has been a regular at the AHL level with the Chicago Wolves for his three-season professional career. He has been able to carry over his college production, notching 32 points last season and 35 this year despite only playing in 60 games.
But that output hasn’t landed him much of an opportunity with Carolina. Aside from a trio of late-season appearances when the Hurricanes were openly resting players for the playoffs, Fensore hasn’t had a taste of a meaningful game at the top level. And with the Hurricanes having some strong defensive depth, that might not change next season either.
With that in mind, it’s not entirely surprising that Fensore is considering other options. A pending restricted free agent, he has performed well enough for Carolina to tender him a qualifying offer to retain his rights but that would limit his options in North America. Accordingly, a stint overseas to try to show that he’s worthy of a legitimate NHL opportunity might be the next best step for him.