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NHL Prospects Moved At The 2021 KHL Trade Deadline

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The NHL’s trade deadline is still nearly three months away but in the KHL, the deadline for player movement was today.  There were several deals completed including a few involving players whose rights are held by NHL teams.  Here’s a rundown of those moves.

  • Senators RFA winger Vitali Abramov was moved from Traktor Chelyabinsk to CSKA Moscow. The 23-year-old has five career NHL games under his belt but opted to head back home in the summer.  He has 17 points in 41 KHL contests this season and his contract overseas runs through the 2022-23 season.  Ottawa retains his RFA rights through the 2024-25 season.
  • Blackhawks goaltender Ivan Nalimov is on the move from Admiral Vladivostok to Metallurg Magnitogorsk. The 27-year-old came to North America for the first time last season, getting in five games with AHL Rockford down the stretch on an AHL deal before returning to Russia this season.  The 2014 sixth-rounder has a 3.50 GAA along with a .891 SV% in 10 games this season and Chicago holds his rights indefinitely since he never signed an NHL contract and there is no transfer agreement in place between Russia and the NHL.
  • Golden Knights center prospect Ivan Morozov was dealt to HC Sochi from SKA St. Petersburg. The 21-year-old was a second-round pick (61st overall) back in 2018 but after spending all of last season in the KHL, he split this season between that league and their lower-tier VHL.  The swap should allow him to play a larger role with Sochi.  Vegas also holds Morozov’s rights indefinitely.

Other names of some note that were on the move were former Stars defenseman Julius Honka who went from Dinamo Minsk to Ak Bars Kazan, former Maple Leafs and Canadiens blueliner Rinat Valiev who went the other way in the Honka trade. Former Bruins prospect Pavel Shen was moved from HK Sochi to Admiral Vladivostok; his NHL deal was terminated back in May while former Jets winger J.C. Lipon was dealt from Sochi to Sibir Novosibirsk.

Russia, Finland, Czechia, Slovakia, Germany Name 2022 WJC Captains

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While there may not be any NHL hockey left to look forward to for the next few days, the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championships are just around the corner. Pre-tournament play is imminent, while the round-robin slate of games begins on December 26. With the tournament approaching, the Russian, Finnish, Czech, Slovak, and German contingents have all named their captains for their teams, supplementing the announcements for Canada (Kaiden Guhle) and the United States (Jake Sanderson). Their captains are as follows:

Russia: Marat Khusnutdinov (MIN)
Finland: Roni Hirvonen (TOR)
Czechia: Jan Mysak (MTL)
Slovakia: Samuel Knazko (CBJ)
Germany: Florian Elias (2022-eligible overage player)

This is Khusnutdinov’s second World Juniors appearance for Russia. Drafted in the second round by Minnesota in 2020, he impressed last year with five points in seven games. Now, in his last year of eligibility, Khusnutdinov is tasked with leading the team in hopes of a medal. The skilled two-way center has four goals and seven assists in 29 KHL games this season with SKA St. Petersburg, impressive numbers for a young player on such a deep team. He’s medalled once before internationally for Russia, winning a silver medal at the 2019 U-18 World Juniors.

Another good defensive center finds his way onto this list with Hirvonen. Also a product of the 2020 Draft’s second round, it’s also Hirvonen’s second and final chance at a World Juniors medal. He had six points in seven games last year as Finland took home the bronze medal. He’s also performing well in his home country’s top league this season, posting six goals and 10 assists in 28 games with HIFK in the Liiga.

Mysak, playing with the Hamilton Bulldogs in the OHL, is the third second-round draft pick in 2020 on this list. Unlike Khusnutdinov and Hirvonen, though, he made the U-20 team as a 17-year-old, meaning this is his third chance at a medal. It’s his second straight year serving as the captain, with three goals and two assists in 10 games combined. He has 17 goals and 14 assists through 25 OHL games this year.

Knazko breaks the chain, as Columbus drafted him in the third round in 2020. Like Mysak, though, it’s Knazko’s third WJC and his second as the captain. The mobile two-way defenseman has two assists in nine games at the tournament. Now with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds, he has a goal and two assists through five games.

Playing with Adler Mannheim in the DEL, Elias was passed over in last year’s draft. Playing with Ottawa’s Tim Stützle at last year’s World Juniors, though, he exploded for four goals and five assists through five games. He’s got four points through 21 games in the DEL this year, and now it’s his turn to lead the German squad.

Eric Fehr Signs In KHL

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Just like Jason Demers yesterday, another Canadian Olympic hopeful has found a new job overseas. Canada withdrew from the Spengler Cup yesterday, forcing players that were preparing for it to find other work. Eric Fehr will join Demers with Ak Bars Kazan in the KHL through the end of the 2021-22 season after spending the last two seasons playing in Switzerland.

A veteran of more than 700 NHL games, Fehr was last active in North America during the 2018-19 season. He had seven goals and 15 points that year for the Minnesota Wild before taking his talents to Switzerland where he has become a star. In 94 regular season games with Geneve Servette, Fehr has scored 36 goals and 76 points, while racking up an incredible 199 penalty minutes.

A member of the last Spengler Cup-winning Canadian team, Fehr is a likely candidate to go to the Olympics should the NHL officially withdraw participation. In the meantime, he’ll hit the KHL for the first time in his career to continue his preparation. Fehr had previously played in Finland during the 2012-13 lockout, but this will be his first stint in Russia.

Jason Demers Signs In KHL

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After Hockey Canada announced that they will no longer be participating in the Spengler Cup, players were left scrambling for other opportunities to stay in game shape. For Jason Demers, that means a contract with Ak Bars Kazan of the KHL. The veteran defenseman has signed a deal for the rest of the season, one that will presumably still allow him to take part in the Olympics for Canada should the NHL officially pull the plug.

Demers, 33, has 699 regular season NHL games under his belt but was surprisingly left unsigned in last summer’s free agent frenzy. Perhaps the Olympics were a consideration in that regard, as he will almost certainly be on the team if it’s being made up by players from outside the NHL. Once a reliable two-way defenseman that would put up 20-30 points every single season, Demers had just four in 41 games during 2020-21.

The KHL deal is interesting, as it suggests that Demers also won’t be an option down the stretch for an NHL club. There was at least some speculation that a player like him could attend the Olympics and then sign an NHL deal before the March 21st trade deadline, allowing him to join a club for the last few months of the season. A contract with Ak Bars though will prevent that, unless there is a buyout or termination at some point.

For now, Demers will get back on the ice and play at a competitive level, even if it will be a brand new experience for him. A regular in the NHL since the 2009-10 season, his only overseas action was during the 2012-13 lockout, when he racked up 21 points in 30 games for Karpat in Finland.

Minor Transactions: 12/18/21

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It was another day of a string of unfortunate events in the NHL, with the unofficial number of players on COVID protocol reaching over 100. There were some other items of note from the other side of the pond, however, as two players who recently had their contracts mutually terminated have officially found their new homes overseas.

  • Andreas Borgman, who was with the Dallas Stars on a two-way deal until it was terminated earlier this week, won’t be back in the NHL anytime soon. The former Star, Maple Leaf, and Lightning defender signed a deal with Frolunda HC of the SHL through the 2025-26 campaign. Considering Borgman will be 30 at the end of the deal, an NHL return is unlikely for the undrafted Swedish defender. He had three goals and 10 assists for 13 points in 55 career NHL games.
  • After being drafted in 2019 by the Montreal Canadiens, Arsen Khisamutdinov is heading back to the KHL with Dinamo Riga. Khisamutdinov’s deal was terminated last week after notching just one point in 15 AHL games last year and getting assigned to the ECHL this year. Khisamutdinov had three points in 31 games during his last KHL stop with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk.

Marat Khusnutdinov Re-Signs In KHL

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Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, Minnesota Wild fans. A Russian prospect has re-signed in the KHL before he participates in an international tournament. Marat Khusnutdinov has signed a new deal with SKA St. Petersburg that will keep him under contract through 2023-24, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic.

Khusnutdinov, 19, was the 37th overall pick in 2020 and looked to be developing quite well in the KHL. As Russo points out, his ice time was slashed recently, which is often a tactic used against young players that are considering leaving for North America. Instead of signing with the Wild this summer, he’ll stay overseas for at least two more seasons, where the team has no control over his development or playing time.

This case isn’t quite as drastic as what happened with Kirill Kaprizov, given Khusnutdinov will only be 21 when this contract ends, but there’s no guarantee he signs at that point either. The young forward is about to take part in his second World Juniors–on North American ice–where he should star once again. In 29 KHL games this season he has four goals and 11 points.

Because the NHL and KHL do not have a transfer agreement, Minnesota will retain Khusnutdinov’s draft rights indefinitely. The two leagues do respect each other’s contracts though, meaning the Wild will have to wait until this one expires to ink him to an entry-level deal. There are mechanisms (namely player-driven buyouts) to break a KHL contract, though that is unlikely with such a young player.

Montreal Canadiens To Terminate Arsen Khisamutdinov’s Contract

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Dec 10: Khisamutdinov has cleared waivers and will have his contract terminated.

Dec 9: The Montreal Canadiens have announced that they have mutually agreed to terminate the contract of Arsen Khisamutdinov, presumably placing him on unconditional waivers today to do so. Khisamutdinov is in the second season of a two-year, entry-level contract signed in 2020. A termination would make him a free agent and clear the way for a return to the KHL.

It’s easy to see why the 23-year-old forward would want out, given he’s been playing at the ECHL level so far this season. After 15 unspectacular appearances for the Laval Rocket last season, Khisamutdinov has five points in 10 games for the Trois-Rivieres Lions in 2021-22. That’s not going to keep many KHL talents in North America, though the young forward hasn’t really even proved himself at that level either. Selected in the sixth round of the 2019 draft (after going undrafted previously) he has 41 games of KHL experience under his belt, with eight points.

For Montreal, this is actually a positive, as it gives them an extra contract slot to work with moving forward. The team is currently at 48 of their 50 allotted contracts, with one more to be opened once Khisamutdinov clears and the termination is executed tomorrow.

Steven Kampfer Signs KHL Extension

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It was somewhat surprising when veteran defenseman Steven Kampfer got a jumpstart on his free agency this summer by signing in the KHL before the NHL market had even opened. Kampfer was coming off of a 20-game season with the Boston Bruins, bringing his career NHL games played total to 231. While used mostly as a depth option in his career, the 33-year-old had proven himself as a dependable puck-mover in a pinch. For whatever reason, Kampfer decided to move on from that role and inked a one-year deal with Ak Bars Kazan, putting his NHL future in doubt.

Well, it seems Kampfer wasn’t thinking too much about an NHL future anyhow. Playing outside of North America for the first time, Kampfer has excelled with Kazan, recording 17 points in 36 games for the third-best mark on the team right now and on pace for a career high in single season production in his pro career. While Ak Bars currently sits tenth in the KHL league standings, they are in the bottom third of the league in scoring making Kampfer’s contributions even more valuable. The team had decided to show their appreciation with an extension, locking up Kampfer for one more year. The team announced a new one-year deal with their “leader”, with the team release calling him one of the best defenders in the KHL.

Ak Bars also slipped in an “at least” when talking about Kampfer’s one-year extension, so his KHL career could still be far from over. If the veteran keeps producing and wants to keep playing, it seems he has found a home in Kazan. While this all but puts an end to a possible NHL return, it is nice to see Kampfer get the recognition that he wasn’t always shown in North America. The University of Michigan product played nine years in the NHL with four teams, but was never better than in his rookie season with Boston in 2010-11, when he recorded career highs in points and time on ice in 38 games. Traded five different times, much of Kampfer’s career shortcoming can be attributed to a lack of opportunity and loyalty. He has seemingly found both in the KHL.

Pontus Aberg Clears Unconditional Waivers

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Dec 6: Aberg has cleared waivers and the Senators have announced his contract will be terminated. He becomes an unrestricted free agent.

Dec 5: Pontus Aberg’s North American comeback will be short-lived. TSN’s Chris Johnston reports that the veteran forward has been placed on unconditional waivers today for the purpose of contract termination. Aberg will return to Europe once clear of the Senators, likely heading back to the KHL where he played last season.

Aberg, 28, returned to North America this season by signing a one-year deal with Ottawa. He had last played in the NHL in 2019-20 with the Toronto Maple Leafs and even earned a qualifying offer from the team, but opted to head to the KHL in search of greater opportunity. Aberg had only played in five NHL games with Toronto and had only 132 career games over six pro seasons. Though a second-round pick in 2012 and always an impressive performer in the AHL, Aberg had rarely been given a fair shake with five different clubs and likely felt that he could burn his final year as a restricted free agent and better showcase his ability and boost his market value in Russia. He did just that, recording 23 points in 49 games with Traktor Chelyabinsk and attracting an offer from the Senators.

However, it was right back to the same old thing for Aberg this season. The veteran forward failed to crack the Ottawa roster out of training camp, despite the rebuilding club’s apparent lack of depth, and had not been recalled by the Senators either. He has 11 points in 19 games with AHL Belleville, but it seemingly has not put him in line for an NHL opportunity. As frequently is the case, Aberg can very likely get a better contract in the KHL than his AHL salary, which is a palatable trade-off for an older player if NHL action (and pay) does not seem likely. Given his age and track record, this is likely the last of Aberg in North America.

Dmitry Zavgorodniy Assigned To KHL

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After assigning Yan Kuznetsov to the CHL a few days ago, the Calgary Flames have found some extra playing time for another one of their prospects. Dmitry Zavgorodniy has been assigned to HC Sochi in the KHL, which will hopefully give him a bit of a bigger opportunity.

Zavgorodniy, 21, was a seventh-round pick of the Flames in 2018 and signed his entry-level contract a year later. That deal, which slid forward one season, will expire after the 2022-23 campaign. He spent most of last season with the Stockton Heat, scoring four points in 29 games, but has been held scoreless in six appearances for the AHL squad this year.

The most recent of those appearances was weeks ago, as he fell out of the regular rotation even for the bottom six. He’ll now head overseas, but remain under contract with the Flames. A very strong junior player, Zavgorodniy had 29 goals and 67 points in 40 games for the Rimouski Oceanic in 2019-20.

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