Nikita Nesterov Will Return To KHL In 2017-18
Though he apparently had interest from at least two NHL teams, Nikita Nesterov will play next season in the KHL according to agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey. Milstein did not clarify which team his client would be signing with.
Nesterov follows Nikita Tryamkin as a young NHL defender heading back to Russia this offseason, trying to rebuild his value after a mid-season trade to the Montreal Canadiens didn’t work out. He never found a fit in Montreal, and hasn’t lived up to his offensive potential during his short career. In Tampa Bay, where he was drafted and developed, he couldn’t hold onto a full-time role after continuing defensive miscues.
That said, he was a relatively excellent possession player that many fans had high hopes for when he came to Montreal. Able to play both sides and even forward at times, his versatility was a worthwhile gamble by the team looking for defensive help heading into the playoffs. Instead of capitalizing on the versatility though, he struggled in all aspects of his game and was essentially replaced with Jordie Benn at the trade deadline. Suiting up for two playoff games, Nesterov rarely saw the ice. He was not issued a qualifying offer, and had become an unrestricted free agent.
In Russia, Nesterov can try to rebuild his career playing a bigger role and perhaps even compete in the Olympics. With most Russian defensemen likely prohibited from playing by the NHL, Nesterov and others still in the KHL will have to make up the team. With players like Nikita Zaitsev, Alexei Bereglazov, Viktor Antipin and Andrei Mironov all signing in the NHL in recent years, the Russian defense corps will be thin. Unless some of the NHL stars go anyway—as Alex Ovechkin has threatened—Nesterov could be heading for an Olympic appearance.
Nikita Nesterov Deciding Between Four Teams, Two Leagues
When the Montreal Canadiens decided not to qualify Nikita Nesterov, it made him an unrestricted free agent and able to sign with any team in the league. Now, agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey reports that his client’s decision is down to two NHL options and two KHL options. The young defenseman will make a final decision by Saturday.
Nesterov, 24, was never able to find a fit in Montreal after a mid-season trade from the Tampa Bay Lightning. Despite pretty solid possession statistics, neither team has been able to trust him much on a regular defensive shift, and because of it he’ll have to find his third team in a young career. You’d think rebuilding clubs would give him a look, and try to develop his two-way game into something of value.
The KHL is a clear option, as Nesterov was drafted out of Chelyabinsk in 2011 and could even have an outside chance at suiting up for Russia at the 2018 Olympics given their relative lack of defensive options. He did play one game at last fall’s World Cup, and with several defensemen—namely Dmitry Orlov, Dmitry Kulikov, Alexei Emelin, Nikita Zaitsev and Andrei Markov—all unlikely to be eligible due to the NHL’s ruling, Nesterov would be pretty high up the charts.
St. Louis Blues Sign Klim Kostin To Entry-Level Contract
After being released from his KHL team due to financial issues, Klim Kostin has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the St. Louis Blues, allowing him to come over to North America for next season to play in either the NHL or AHL. The 31st-overall pick has already made quite the impression at Blues development camp, after being relatively unseen in his draft year.
The Blues acquired the pick by trading Ryan Reaves to the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Kostin has huge boom-or-bust potential. The Russian winger played in just a handful of games after losing most of his season to injury, but was still ranked as the top international skater by the NHL’s Central Scouting. His profile, as a do-it-all power winger that can skate, shoot and hit is one scouts drool over but still has to overcome some consistency issues (like most draft talents).
Kostin was selected first-overall in last year’s CHL import draft, but he’s already said he won’t play for Kootenay and signing his ELC makes that even more clear. The Blues want him to get into the system right away, as his offensive game is developed enough to jump right to the AHL level. There’s no guarantee he ever makes the NHL, but if initial reports out of camp are to be believed, he’s got his eye on the top league already and the talent to get there.
Early Notes: Tolvanen, Peca, Latta
Eeli Tolvanen, the Nashville Predators’ first-round pick from the recent draft, has signed on with Jokerit of the KHL for the 2017-18 season. The deal also includes an option for 2018-19, and will provide a landing spot for Tolvanen after his earlier issues. The Finnish winger was planning on staying in North America and joining Boston College, but failed to meet their admissions standards and was rejected.
Instead, Tolvanen will play in the KHL for at least a year before deciding where next to spend his professional career. The undersized winger spent two years in the USHL, where he put up 54 points in 52 games last season for the Sioux City Musketeers. Nashville selected him with the 30th-overall pick.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed Matthew Peca to a one-year, two-way contract worth $650K at the NHL level. Peca made his NHL debut last season and spent ten games with the Lightning, scoring two points. The undersized forward had another big season with the Syracuse Crunch, and should be expected to spend the majority of 2017-18 in the AHL once again.
- The Arizona Coyotes signed Michael Latta yesterday to a similar one-year, two-way contract. Latta split last year between the Ontario Reign and Rockford IceHogs, scoring 22 points. Traded mid-season for Cameron Schilling, Latta will now try a new organization for the time being. Never able to quite duplicate the offensive prowess he showed for the Guelph Storm before being selected in the third round, Latta is now AHL depth for the Coyotes.
- Montreal has announced several front office changes, hiring Franvis Bouillon as a development coach, and moving Rob Ramage to Director of Player Development. Ramage will be replacing Martin Lapointe, who has been promoted to Director of Player Personnel, while Vincent Riendeau has moved from Assistant General Manager of the AHL team to Director of Goalie Development and pro scout.
Dynamo Moscow Releases Almost All Players
The KHL’s Dynamo Moscow released all its players on one-way contracts earlier today, reports Russian sports reporter Slava Malamud. The formerly-esteemed hockey club is in dire financial straits and may not even be able to play in the upcoming KHL season. This marks the second major blight on the KHL in recent times. The league lost two teams to contraction before the season started, with Metallurg Novokuznetsk being kicked out and Medvescak Zagreb moving to the EBEL, a lower-level Austrian-based league.
Earlier reports indicated that Dynamo has not paid its players for months. Players went on strike last month after new owners refused to honor the team’s debts—including unpaid player salary. Players eventually appealed to the KHL, who most likely forced Dynamo’s hand into making this move. It is unclear at the moment whether the KHL or the team itself voided the player contracts.
Dynamo’s money trouble came to light last month after, according to the Associated Press, its offices were raided by anti-fraud and corruption police. The team is under investigation for embezzlement, and is rumored to be about $35MM USD in debt. It’s current situation is a far cry from just a few years earlier, where Dynamo sat atop the KHL in 2012 and 2013. More recently, the team housed NHL phenom Alex Ovechkin during the 2012-13 NHL lockout, and current Toronto Maple Leaf Leo Komarov one year later.
The team released 42 players in all (see complete list at Elite Prospects). Most notably is Klim Kostin, drafted earlier this summer in the 1st round, 31st overall, by the St. Louis Blues. As reported earlier, Kostin is close to signing an ELC with the Blues following his release from Dynamo. Other recent former NHL draft picks include Yegor Zaitsev (2017 7th rd – New Jersey Devils) and Andrei Mironov (2015 4th rd – Colorado Avalanche).
Ilya Kovalchuk Will Return To KHL
The Ilya Kovalchuk saga may be over, at least for now. Larry Brooks of the New York Post is reporting that the Russian winger will return to the KHL for another season, making him an unrestricted free agent and able to sign with any team next summer. Andrew Gross of The Record confirms the report that he’s headed back, though there has not been any confirmation from a KHL team on where he’ll play next season.
Kovalchuk’s camp has been talking to teams around the NHL for months since announcing his desire to return to the league next season, but hasn’t been able to find a deal that would be be acceptable to him, his new team and the New Jersey Devils. The Devils, though not interested in bringing Kovalchuk onto their own team, still had his rights and would have had to complete a sign-and-trade with another team to see him play in the league. Brooks reports that Devils’ GM Ray Shero did try to facilitate trades, but nothing worked out in the end.
The 34-year old will become a UFA next summer on July 1st, but will be hampered by the restrictions placed on 35-year old contracts in the NHL. Any contract signed after a player turns 35 will count against the cap regardless of whether the player retires or is bought out, and since Kovalchuk comes with a checkered past in this regard, it’s unlikely to see a team offer him any sort of long-term deal.
There is also doubt about his ability to even make an impact at the NHL level, as even though he put up 78 points this season for SKA St. Petersburg, things haven’t always been so rosy for him in Russia. Two years ago Kovalchuk scored only 16 goals on a less talented St. Petersburg team, and even this year his play fell off in the Gagarin Cup playoffs. While he was one of the most dominant power forwards in NHL history for a time, there is no guarantee his game can still work in the newer, faster league of today.
That’s not to say he won’t find a deal in 2018, as there will surely be teams after him with no compensation attached. Any contender who believes they can fit Kovalchuk into their system could make an offer, hoping to at least get a 20-goal version of him. With players like Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton getting big paydays even at advanced ages, it’s clear there will be a market for Kovalchuk next summer, though it might come on a very short-term deal.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
KHL Notes: Sorokin, Kuznetsov, Lyubimov
The New York Islanders have some of the top goalie prospects in the world, but will have to wait a few more years at least to see Ilya Sorokin on North American ice. The Russian goaltender has reached a three-year extension with CSKA Moscow. He was under contract for the 2017-18 season already.
Sorokin is one of the best goaltenders in the KHL, winning Goaltender of the Year two seasons ago age-20. Should he ever decide to come to North America the Islanders would welcome him with open arms, but it still doesn’t seem like he’s considering it. Back in May, he told reporters after the World Championships that he would be focused on the 2017-18 season, but an extension will keep him overseas even longer.
- The Washington Capitals re-signed Evgeny Kuznetsov to an eight-year, $62.4MM contract yesterday, and GM Brian MacLellan met with the media today to discuss it and other offseason moves the team has made so far. To Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press, he explained that the threat of Kuznetsov going back to Russia was real, and pushed the contract higher than they’d hoped. The decision was “do we let Kuznetsov walk to Russia and become a UFA in 2 years or do we trade Marcus [Johansson]?”
- Agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey announced today that Roman Lyubimov has signed with CSKA Moscow in order to try his hand at the 2018 Olympics, something he hinted at back in April. Lyubimov is a restricted free agent with the Philadelphia Flyers after playing 47 games with the club last season. The 25-year old scored just six points, and didn’t make the impact they’d hoped for.
Morning Notes: Sharp, Bernier, Agostino
It’s been a wild few weeks for the Chicago Blackhawks, including the departures of several key players like Niklas Hjalmarsson, Artemi Panarin, and Trevor van Riemsdyk, but the Western Conference dynasty appears to be bringing back a fan-favorite when free agency opens today to help deal with those losses. The Chicago Sun Times’ Mark Lazerus reports, as speculated, that Patrick Sharp will return to Chicago for the coming season. While details of the deal – term, salary, incentives – are not yet known, the deal is expected to be made official promptly after free agency opens at noon ET. Sharp, 35, is a three-time Stanley Cup winner with the Blackhawks and an eight-time 20-goal scorer over his impressive career. Sharp was essentially forced out of Chicago in the off-season two years ago, as the ‘Hawks could not muster the cap space to re-sign the prominent forward. The Dallas Stars could, but after a strong 55-point campaign in 2015-16, Sharp struggled with injury and inconsistency this past season, recording just 18 points in 48 games. Age and health have clearly softened Sharp’s edge, but if he is going to rejuvenate his career at this age for any team, it will be in a return to Chicago and his former teammates. Sharp will join Brandon Saad as returning Blackhawks this off-season if this deal does come to fruition this afternoon.
- Adrian Dater of BSN Denver was busy late last night, breaking the news that Jonathan Bernier is expected to sign with his Colorado Avalanche today. The Avs recently lost young backup Calvin Pickard in the expansion draft and were on the lookout for a reliable backup to Semyon Varlamov. While Bernier has been rumored to sign anywhere from the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins to a return to the Anaheim Ducks, the fit in Colorado makes sense. One could argue that Bernier is coming off the best season of his career in 2016-17 and will have a chance to be more of a “1B” than a definite #2 with the Avalanche. Per usual, there is still no word on the details of the deal that cannot be consummated until later today.
- Dater also reported that the Boston Bruins are set to make a small, but interesting move today, as they have supposedly come to terms with AHL MVP Kenny Agostino on a short-term contract worth $850K. The high-scoring minor league left wing has seen only limited NHL action, but over the course of an 83-point season with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves last season, he also contributed a goal and two assists in seven games with the St. Louis Blues. The Bruins were known to have some concerns over the potential of Matt Beleskey and Frank Vatrano to play top-six roles on the left side next season, but were also worried about blocking up-and-coming prospects like Jake DeBrusk, Peter Cehlarik, Anders Bjork, and more. The Agostino signing would add another option at a relatively cheap price and (likely) the flexibility of a two-way contract as well. The details will be revealed a few hours from now.
- In more concrete news, the KHL’s Barys Astana has signed former Washington Capitals prospect Darren Dietz, according to European hockey insider Aivis Kalnins. Dietz was not tendered a qualifying offer by the Capitals by last Monday’s deadline and became an unrestricted free agent. Without any NHL interest, Dietz will try his hand at Russian pro hockey rather than a minor league deal to remain in North America.
Ilya Kovalchuk Situation Remains “Murky”
The ongoing battle over where Ilya Kovalchuk will play next year has taken another turn, and this time (like every other it seems) it’s not clear where he will end up. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet tweeted that there has been talk of a potential return to the KHL next season, and a report out of Russia has the head of SKA St. Petersburg set to meet with the star on Thursday to discuss a possible contract.
Kovalchuk has been clear that he wants to come to the NHL, but with the league perhaps not willing to give him the term or salary he’s after while an extra price is attached to him he may have to wait another year. Should he want to play in the NHL this year, a team would have to sign him to a contract and make a trade with New Jersey for his rights. While it’s not clear what asset the Devils would want in return, waiting to sign Kovalchuk next season comes with no dangling threads. He’ll be 35 then, but an unrestricted free agent able to sign with any team.
It may seem prudent to wait that long, but 35+ contracts do come with some intricacies that should be made clear. First, the team would be on the hook for the cap hit regardless of what happens to Kovalchuk. Though it’s unlikely he’d bolt a second time for the KHL, he is regarded as a national hockey hero in Russia and would be constantly wooed by the league to return. Another “retirement” from the North American ice would leave the team with a large dead cap hit on the books. The interesting option though could be an incentive-laden deal next summer.
After 35, players are allowed to take one-year deals with performance bonuses attached to certain season milestones. Any team unsure of how Kovalchuk could come over, could build in a relatively low salary with regular bonuses for games played, goals and points. Whether Kovalchuk would accept a one-year deal isn’t clear, but he could maximize his earning potential this way if he believes he can still be a star in the league. Either way, it’s unclear where the Russia star will land this season, and why we didn’t include him in our top free agent list (he’s not technically a UFA).
Stephane Da Costa Plans On NHL Return
How much would you pay for a KHL star returning to the NHL in his prime to try and make an impact on a winner? No, not Ilya Kovalchuk but Stephane Da Costa who according to Darren Dreger of TSN “100% intends on playing in the NHL next season.” Da Costa has played the last three seasons in the KHL, but now has interest from multiple teams around the league.
Now 27, Da Costa left the NHL after spending another year toiling in the AHL for Ottawa and made an immediate impact in the Russian league. Scoring 62 points in 46 games as a KHL rookie, Da Costa had found a place to ply his trade and has rebuilt his value. The undersized forward is equipped with a lethal shot, but always showed a lack of straight-line speed and the ability to keep up strength-wise with the rest of the league. Whether that’s changed now will be a key factor in whether he can come back to any success.
Any deal he comes back to will likely be short, as he hasn’t done enough to deserve any real security. He’s still young enough to take a “prove-me” deal and earn a long-term offer next summer, but he’ll have to show that he can be a consistent offensive producer, something he never did in his short NHL career. In 47 career games, he scored just 11 points.