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Edmonton Oilers Sign Ilya Konovalov

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May 3: The Oilers have officially announced the two-year contract, which will begin in the 2021-22 season.

April 30: The Edmonton Oilers are closing in on signing an impressive prospect goaltender to his entry-level contract. Sportsnet’s Mark Spector confirms the report of Russian insider Mikhail Zislis that Ilya Konovalov is expected to sign with the Oilers in the coming days. Spector notes that deal will begin next season and Konovalov is not planning to travel to North America in time to play for the organization this season.

Konovalov, 22, was an overage pick by Edmonton in the third round of the 2019 NHL Draft. While he had been passed over twice before the Oilers took a chance, Konovalov had spent those years polishing his game before emerging as a top KHL keeper in his final draft year. Despite having just seven KHL games under his belt heading into the 2018-19 season, Konovalov won the starting job for Lokomotiv Yaroslav and posted a stunning .930 save percentage, 1.89 GAA, and 25 wins in 45 games. Last year, he was again the undisputed starter for Yaroslavl and while his numbers dipped slightly, they were still impressive. Finally, this season Konovalov was limited to just 19 games but his numbers improved again to an elite level with a .923 save percentage and 2.29 GAA.

Young KHL goaltenders have found success in translating their games to the NHL of late and Konovalov could be the next in line. The Oilers could certainly use an upgrade in net and Konovalov could see some considerable NHL opportunity right away next season, especially if the Oilers don’t add to their current projected tandem of Mikko Koskinen and Alex Stalock. The cap-strapped club would also definitely benefit from Konovalov earning an NHL roster spot over the course of his affordable entry-level deal. The KHL standout will likely be given every opportunity to do just that beginning next season.

Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Justin Danforth

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have dipped into the KHL free agent waters once again, this time signing Justin Danforth to a one-year contract. The deal is for the 2021-22 season. No financial details have been released yet, but Danforth is not limited to the entry-level system, and Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports it will be a one-way deal. Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen released a statement:

Justin is a talented, offensive player coming off three outstanding seasons in the KHL and Liiga and we believe he is ready to prove himself in the National Hockey League. He has worked extremely hard to develop his game over the past five seasons and we are excited to welcome him to the Blue Jackets.

Danforth, 28, scored 55 points in 58 games this season for Vityaz Podolsk of the KHL. It’s been a long and winding road for the Oshawa, Ontario native, who spent four years at Sacred Heart University before trying his hand in the minor leagues. Though Danforth dominated at the ECHL level, he failed to get many opportunities in the AHL and took his game overseas in 2018. Two outstanding seasons in Finland followed and now after his strong KHL campaign, he has finally landed an NHL deal.

It will be a challenge for the 5’9″ forward to bring that level of offensive impact to the Blue Jackets, but it certainly appears he’ll be given a chance. Columbus has a very busy offseason ahead of them as even with Danforth, they have just 25 players signed to NHL contracts for the 2021-22 season. Kekalainen is obviously scouring every inch of the globe for talent after a disappointing season.

Yegor Chinakhov Signs With Columbus Blue Jackets

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Sunday: Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports that the entry-level deal for Chinakhov is now official. However, with little time remaining in the season and plenty of visa paperwork still needed to be done, Chinakhov will not be able to play for the team this season. However, his contract will begin this season, meaning that he will become a restricted free-agent after the 2022-23 season. The Blue Jackets have confirmed the deal.

Friday: After winning the Gagarin Cup earlier this week, Yegor Chinakhov had a decision to make whether to re-sign in the KHL and continue his career in Russia, or join the Columbus Blue Jackets who drafted him last fall. When his KHL contract expired today, the decision was made, and Chinakhov is coming to North America according to his agent Shumi Babaev. The Blue Jackets have not released any details, but the 20-year-old forward will be limited to a three-year entry-level contract.

As Aaron Portzline of The Athletic tweets, it seems unlikely Chinakhov will be able to play before the end of this season because of the time it takes to secure a visa, but this is still a big step for the Blue Jackets as they look to turn the page on a disastrous campaign. Selected 21st overall in October, a shocking decision according to many analysts, Chinakhov was an overage draft prospect set to make his KHL debut. Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen has never been shy about picking the player he believes in regardless of consensus draft ranking, and Chinakhov looks like another winner.

In 32 games for Avangard Omsk during the regular season, Chinakhov recorded 10 goals and 17 points. Add in another five goals and seven points in the postseason and you have quite the strong campaign for a player who only turned 20 in February and was playing at the KHL level for the first time. Near the end of the playoffs, he was logging substantial minutes on the championship squad, even eclipsing veteran names like Ilya Kovalchuk and Sergey Tolchinsky at times (though an illness kept him out of the clinching game).

Columbus has very few players actually signed for the 2021-22 campaign, meaning there could be plenty of opportunity in the organization should Chinakhov prove to be NHL ready. After such a disappointing season for Kekalainen’s team, change seems inevitable.

Nikita Tryamkin Signs Two-Year Extension To Stay In KHL

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Ever since 6-foot-7, 253-pound defenseman Nikita Tryamkin left the Vancouver Canucks back in 2017, they have been working to bring him back. There was plenty of optimism recently that the Canucks were close to convincing the blueliner to return to the team. Instead, it looks like Tryamkin’s chances of returning to Vancouver could be over after the KHL announced he signed a two-year extension with Yekaterinburg Automobilist. To make matters worse, Tryamkin’s rights with Vancouver will expire in two years, meaning he will be an unrestricted free agent in 2023-24.

The two sides did attempt to work out a deal recently, but were not able to work out a deal, according to Canucks reporter Rick Dhaliwal.

“I told the Canucks what it would take on both a 1 or 2 year term and they told me what they could guarantee today and the gap was just too wide for Nikita,” said Tryamkin’s agent, Todd Diamond. “Nikita didn’t want to wait and be in a situation like last summer where the team didn’t act and the KHL Club had nearly exhausted its budget.”

Diamond, revealed earlier this year that he believes Tryamkin was ready to take another chance in the NHL after struggling in his two years with the team years ago. The 26-year-old has developed into a solid two-way defenseman and could have had a major impact on the Canucks defense next year had they been able to come to terms. The blueliner was already known as a good skater considering his size, but only averaged 16:52 of ice time with Vancouver between 2015-17. He has excelled with Automobilist, scoring 17 goals and 63 points over four seasons there.

KHL Off-Season Opening Day Round-Up

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The KHL off-season opened today and the league did not waste any time in making moves that have meaning to NHL fans. A number of familiar names have hit free agency today and some are already agreeing to new deals. Meanwhile, others are being traded on the first day to do so, including the rights to some players currently in North America. Keep up with all of today’s action as the KHL’s clubs get their summers started early with significant moves:

  •  One of the first players to sign with a new team early this morning was former NHL forward Teemu Pulkkinen. A Detroit Red Wings draft pick who also spent time with the Minnesota Wild, Arizona Coyotes, and most recently the Chicago Blackhawks in 2017-18, Pulkkinen will be entering his fourth season in the KHL and is already on to his fourth different team. After splitting this season between Dynamo Moscow and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, collecting 30 points in 46 games, Pulkkinen has signed a two-year deal with Traktor Chelyabinsk. The 29-year-old has scored at a .67 per-game clip in his KHL career and shows no signs of slowing down.
  • SKA St. Petersberg and Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod have made an interesting futures swap, trading the rights of two current NHLers. Torpedo received the rights to Edmonton Oilers winger Jesse Puljujarvi (as well as minor league forward Danil Voyevodin) while SKA landed the rights to young San Jose Sharks goalie Alexei Melnichuk. The deal is tricky on a number of levels; while Puljujarvi is undoubtedly the biggest name in the trade, it is Melnichuk who commanded the larger side of the return. It was also KHL powerhouse SKA who received the prospect netminder and gave up the established scorer. This could be a simple case of different likelihoods of those player rights having any value. While Puljujarvi previously left the Oilers for Europe, he has finally found his NHL stride in his return this season and is unlikely to leave again. Even if he does, Puljujarvi may just return home to the Finnish Liiga as well. On the other hand, Melnichuk was born and bred in the SKA system and the team may have some insight into his future plans. The 22-year-old keeper is valued by the Sharks and even made his NHL debut this year in his first season in North America, however his AHL play has underwhelmed and he doesn’t look like a realistic full-time NHL option for San Jose next season. If the young goalie grows tired of playing in the minors in North America, he would probably be happy to jump back to his old team and take on a starting role in the KHL.
  • Former Boston Bruins forward Joonas Kemppainen has signed a one-year extension to remain with SKA. The Finnish power forward didn’t work out in his lone NHL season back in 2015-16, recording five points in eleven games with Boston, but has been a productive player in the KHL for five years now. That includes a 15-goal, 29-point campaign with St. Petersberg this year that earned him an extension. The 33-year-old veteran is not a candidate to ever return to North America, but still has plenty to offer in Russia.
  • Vladimir Zharkov feels like ancient New Jersey Devils history at this point, but the former top prospect continues to produce in the KHL. Zharkov, 33, spent four seasons with the Devils early in his career and was a nice fringe piece, but lacked starting upside. In the KHL since 2012-13, Zharkov has become a reliable two-way forward and locker room leader, spending many years with top programs like CSKA Moscow and Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Now he’s off to the top team in the league, signing a two-year deal with recently-crowned Gagarin Cup champions Avangard Omsk, replacing the veteran presence of the departed Ilya Kovalchuk.
  • Torpedo jumped right back into the action, signing an exciting forward to a one-year deal. Marek Hrivik gave his all to a career in North America, developing in the QMJHL and spending six seasons primarily in the AHL for the New York Rangers and Calgary Flames. However, he never could earn a full-time opportunity and returned home to Europe in 2018. Even then, his first go-round in the KHL did not go all that well. However, after back-to-back stellar season in Sweden, he is ready to give it another try with Torpedo. Hrivik totaled 81 points in 90 games with the SHL’s Leksands IF these past two years and if that can translate to the KHL then the 29-year-old could become a star in Russia.
  • Another trade involving NHL property has landed, but this one could have more immediate dividends. Defending champions Omsk have acquired the rights to Boston Bruins prospect forward Peter Cehlarik from Yaroslavl in exchange for the rights to Anaheim Ducks defenseman Kodie Curran. Cehlarik, 25, is already in Europe, having left Boston this past off-season to join Leksands IF in Sweden. Cehlarik always showed great promise in the AHL, but couldn’t translate it to the NHL for the Bruins. After recording 20 goals and 40 points in 45 SHL games this season, Cehlarik may want to return to Boston, who continues to hold his rights, in an attempt to prove himself once more. However, the talented winger could be tempted to join the KHL’s current kings this off-season instead. As for Curran, 31, he already did his stint in Europe and made his return to North America. The Calgary native spent the previous four seasons in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden before earning his first NHL contract with the Ducks this past off-season. While he hasn’t see any action in Anaheim just yet, he has 11 points in 17 AHL games this season and his one-way, $1MM contract still has another year remaining. However, if Curran is still not being utilized by the Ducks after next season and doesn’t draw any other NHL offers as a result, he has a new home to return to in Europe in Yarolslavl.
  • After signing his entry-level contract with the Carolina Hurricanes, Pyotr Kochetkov has inked another deal – a one-year extension with Torpedo. The 21-year-old landed in Novgorod late in the season, but excelled down the stretch and in the postseason with save percentages of .931 and .932, respectively. Kochetkov could very well be in line for the starting role for Torpedo next season while playing on loan from Carolina.

Hurricanes’ Egor Korshkov Signs In The KHL

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When the Carolina Hurricanes acquired young forward Egor Korshkov earlier this season, many were surprised that the Toronto Maple Leafs had surrendered the skilled prospect in exchange for a recently-waived rental in Alex Galchenyuk. Well, perhaps the Leafs had some doubts about Korhskov’s commitment to the NHL and were thus willing to move on from the multi-talented forward despite his potential. Despite his entry-level contract contract coming to an end and seemingly having the opportunity to join a new NHL club on a fresh deal this summer, Korshkov will go in a different direction. The KHL’s Lokomotiv Yaroslavl has announced a one-year contract extension with Korshkov, who played on loan with the team in 2020-21.

Korshkov, 24, was a second-round pick by the Maple Leafs in 2016 and made the jump to North America just two years later. In his first full season away from Russia, Korshkov did not look out of place, recording 16 goals and 25 points in 44 AHL games and even earning his NHL debut and scoring his first goal in that lone game. Korshkov even earned a role on Toronto’s playoff bubble roster last year, though he did not make an appearance. Yet, the minute that Korskov could make an excuse to return overseas, citing a need for play time due to a premature end to his AHL season due to COVID-19 and no NHL playoff action, he secured a loan to Yaroslavl, where he had played for seven years before joining the Leafs. With his loan coming to an end, one would have assumed that perhaps Korshkov would return to North America and try to get some experience with his new club, the Hurricanes. Instead, the restricted free agent will not only remain in Russia this spring, but for another whole season.

This of course raises doubts over whether Korshkov will ever become a realistic NHL option for the Hurricanes. Carolina will retain his RFA rights by making him a qualifying offer this summer, but if the young forward was not even willing to try to spend some time with the team this season and was quick to re-sign in the KHL, does he have much interest in an NHL career? Korshkov’s ability will certainly keep the ’Canes intrigued; the 6’4″ power forward recorded 17 goals and 34 points in 56 KHL games this season and has shown a knack for both physicality and production early in his career. However, Korshkov may only be just that – a KHL forward and an NHL “could have been”. Hopefully the young forward re-evaluates his career path next season and gives North America another chance.

Ilya Kovalchuk Terminates KHL Contract

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Are you ready for another Summer of Kovalchuk? The enigmatic Ilya Kovalchuk has terminated his contract with Avangard Omsk after winning the Gagarin Cup and hopes to return to the NHL once again.

Now 38, it’s hard to really have any idea what Kovalchuk can bring to an NHL lineup. During the 2019-20 season, he played for the Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens, and Washington Capitals, totaling 26 points in 46 games. That production came in very different ways. Kovalchuk struggled with the Kings to the point where the team told him to stay home, after recording nine points in 17 games but being a liability defensively. Then in Montreal, he seemed rejuvenated, scoring 13 points in 22 games and becoming a core piece of the team. When it was obvious that the Canadiens weren’t going to contend for the Stanley Cup, Kovalchuk was flipped to the Capitals, where he had just one goal in seven regular season games and then was held to just a single assist in eight postseason contests.

This season for Avangard, he put up 17 points in 16 regular season games and then added nine more on their championship run. Would an NHL team be getting the engaged, hard-working player that appeared in Montreal or the disinterested veteran that was in Los Angeles? One thing is certain; Kovalchuk won’t be getting anywhere near the three-year, $18.75MM contract he signed in 2018 with the Kings. If he wants to play again in the NHL, he very well may need to settle for the league minimum (which is increasing to $750K next season) and hope a contender is willing to give him sheltered minutes and a powerplay role.

Though his stated goal has always been a Stanley Cup, Kovalchuk also could reach some milestones should he return for a full season in 2021-22. He is 74 games away from 1,000 in his NHL career, would need seven goals to reach 450 and 24 points to crack 900. Those all seem like reasonable amounts even at his age, should he stay healthy and involved.

There was a time that Kovalchuk was one of the most feared goal-scorers in the entire world. In the four seasons between 2005-2009, his 189 goals were more than anyone not named Alex Ovechkin. His 73 powerplay markers during the same period also trailed only Ovechkin. Even with that history, it’s hard to know if any contender would really want to bring him back once again. The watch is on.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Minor Transactions: 04/28/21

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The playoff chase is heating up in the NHL, but elsewhere most leagues are winding down. The KHL season came to an end today with Avangard Omsk hoisting their first Gagarin Cup. The SHL, the Swiss NLA, and the German DEL are all down to just four teams apiece following the conclusion of their quarterfinal playoff rounds, while the Finnish Liiga is halfway through their quarterfinals with just six teams still alive. Even the AHL season is coming to a close, with no Calder Cup up for grabs and the regular season schedule over for some North Division teams and ending early next month for all others. As the leagues come to a close and players turn toward the future, it can cause some notable ripples in the NHL market. Here are some of those minor, but meaningful moves:

  • After a dozen pro seasons, former NHL defenseman Victor Bartley has called it a career. The 33-year-old made the announcement in the most subtle way possible, changing his personal Twitter account to description to “retired professional hockey player” following the conclusion of his brief season with Unia Oswiecim in Poland. Bartley has spent the past four season in Europe, two with the KHL’s Kunlund Red Star and another with the SHL’s Orebrok HK. However, he spent the previous six seasons under contract in the NHL. Bartley spent parts of five seasons with the Nashville Predators, including skating in 50 games with the team in 2013-14. He also spent time with the Montreal Canadiens and Minnesota Wild, totaling 121 NHL games between the three clubs.
  • The Boston Bruins won’t be reuniting with Linus Arnesson next season. The 26-year-old defenseman, a 2013 second-round pick, recently became a free agent at the conclusion of his SHL season. A solid stay-at-home defender who played well in a few AHL seasons, there was some belief that Arnesson might look at an NHL return following several strong seasons overseas. However, he has decided to stay at home in Sweden rather than try his luck again in North America, at least for one more year. Djurgardens IF, the program that Arnesson played his developmental hockey with, has welcomed their product home on a one-year deal, the team announced. Perhaps Arnesson will try to re-connect with the Bruins next summer, but his value seemingly decreases with each passing year.
  • The Ottawa Senators are hoping that they can finally bring over one of their own second-round picks, 2017 selection Marcus Davidsson. The 22-year-old two-way forward has had somewhat of an up-and-down stretch over the past few years in the Swedish ranks, with 2020-21 as more of a low point, but was once a highly-regarded prospect and has shown flashes of NHL ability. Davidsson finished the season on a strong note though, joining Sodertalje SK of the Allsvenskan for 14 games and recording 8 points and a +5 rating along the way. However, the team announced today that Davidsson will not be remaining with Sodertalje moving forward. This frees Davidsson up to make the jump to North America if he chooses, perhaps getting back on his development track with some time in the AHL for the Senators. Ottawa risks never getting anything out of the high pick if he remains in Sweden and keeps bouncing around and not taking the next step forward in his career.
  • EHC Munich wrapped up their DEL season recently and today confirmed the departures of a number of player. The list reads as a who’s who of former NHLers, including Derek Roy, Chris Bourque, Andrew Ebbett, and Keith Aulie. None of the four are realistic candidates to return to the NHL at this late point in their respective careers, but could still be off to make a difference elsewhere in Europe and potentially to guide current and future NHL prospects.

Avangard Omsk Wins Gagarin Cup

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The Gagarin Cup has been awarded to Avangard Omsk for the first time in franchise history, defeating CSKA 1-0 in the deciding game six. While the championship obviously doesn’t have a direct impact on the NHL, it signals the end of the KHL season for several interesting prospects that could end up in North America shortly.

Klim Kostin, the 21-year-old St. Louis Blues prospect who just lifted the trophy, is expected to come over and rejoin his NHL team as soon as possible, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Kostin is already under contract with the Blues and was just on loan to the KHL.

Max Shalunov is a different story, as he would need to sign a deal with the Chicago Blackhawks. Originally drafted way back in 2011, the 28-year-old Shalunov’s draft rights never did expire because he never signed an NHL contract. The KHL and NHL do not have an official transfer agreement, so KHL draft rights are held indefinitely. The veteran winger has been a strong performer for years in Russia and could be a nice addition to the Blackhawks organization if they can get him to finally sign.

Yegor Chinakhov, the youngest of the three most notable players involved in the final, was just selected 21st overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets. A decision will now be made by the 20-year-old forward whether to sign his entry-level deal or stay in Russia a while longer.

The win was also an impressive achievement for Bob Hartley, who now has a Gagarin Cup, a Stanley Cup, a Calder Cup, an NLA title, a QMJHL championship, and a CJHL championship as a head coach. Quite the resume for the veteran coach, who was last in the NHL during the 2015-16 season with the Calgary Flames.

Dmitrij Jaskin Eyeing NHL Return

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April 27: Nothing is official yet, but Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet writes that the Coyotes are indeed the frontrunner to sign Jaskin and that it could actually be a two-year deal.

April 21: Apparently, Dmitrij Jaskin can score anywhere but the NHL. That doesn’t mean he won’t give it another try. The former St. Louis Blues forward is eyeing a return to North America after two outstanding seasons in the KHL. After a report out of Russia emerged that had Jaskin signing a one-year deal with the Arizona Coyotes, Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider spoke to his agent Allain Roy. Roy confirmed that the Coyotes are one of the teams they are talking to, but that no decision has been made yet.

Jaskin, 28, has dominated the KHL the last two years, scoring 69 goals and 123 points in 117 regular season games. He’s been nearly a point-per-game player in the playoffs too, registering eight goals and 14 points in 16 postseason contests. That performance correlates with the incredible scoring numbers that Jaskin put up in his one season of CHL hockey–46 goals and 99 points in just 51 games with the Moncton Wildcats. He was a strong offensive player in the AHL too, but just couldn’t ever seem to find that consistency with the Blues. In 327 career NHL games, all but 37 of them coming with St. Louis, Jaskin scored just 73 points.

Still, you can understand why an NHL team would be interested in giving the 6’2″ 224-lbs forward another shot. His last contract carried just a $1.1MM salary and it’s hard to believe he’ll be able to land substantially more than that upon his return–at least not right away. Even though his KHL numbers have been off the charts, there’s still a lot of proving Jaskin would have to do to convince an NHL team he can be a regular in the top-six. Blues fans that don’t want to go down that road again need not worry; Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic tweets that the Blues are not on Jaskin’s list of interested teams.

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