Islanders Register Anatoly Golyshev’s Contract
The fact that Islanders winger Anatoly Golyshev participated in training camp and was cut today suggested that a contract had been agreed upon with the restricted free agent. CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that the team has now registered the deal with the league and it’s a one-year, one-way pact worth $750K.
The 26-year-old was a fourth-round pick of the Isles back in 2016 (95th overall) but it took nearly five years for him to sign his entry-level deal. That happened back in March once his KHL season came to an end, permitting him to burn his one-year deal without even playing a single game on it. Last season, Golyshev had 12 goals and 15 assists with Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg of the KHL, his eighth season in that league. Overall, he has 208 points in 366 career AHL contests, a decent performance overall in a low-scoring league.
While Golyshev will be starting in the minors with AHL Bridgeport to kick off his North American playing career, it’s likely that he will see some action with New York at some point this season. With their salary cap situation, a contract for the league minimum will certainly help his chances of earning a recall.
Anatoly Golyshev’s KHL Deal Terminated, Signs With Islanders
March 19: The Islanders have made the deal with Golyshev official, signing him to a one-year entry-level contract for the 2020-21 season. He can step directly (once through quarantine protocols) into the NHL lineup if the team deems it best.
March 16: The Islanders have been waiting for quite a while to get winger Anatoly Golyshev into their system. However, the wait may soon be over. The KHL announced today (Twitter link) that Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg has terminated their contract with the 26-year-old, making him a free agent while Arthur Staple of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that New York is expected to sign him shortly.
Golyshev was a fourth-round pick (95th overall) of the Isles back in 2016 as a 21-year-old. At that point, he was coming off of a 25-goal, 44-point campaign in the KHL, making him an intriguing selection. Of course, at that time, he wasn’t planning on leaving for North America but with there being no player transfer agreement between the NHL and Russia’s hockey federation, New York was able to hold his rights indefinitely.
Since being picked, Golyshev has been a top performer with Avtomobilist and is now the franchise leader in career goals (109) and points (220) despite coming off one of his quieter years that saw him post 12 goals and 15 assists in 53 games.
Golyshev is still subject to the entry-level system and will be capped at signing a one-year contract. That shouldn’t be much of a deterrent as the two sides will be able to use this season as that one year, paving the way for a bigger contract just a few months from now if things go well.
In the meantime, Golyshev will be an interesting addition to a New York team that is in the middle of the pack offensively so far this season. There’s a vacancy to fill with Anders Lee on LTIR and while the Islanders obviously won’t be expecting him to step into that big of a role, it certainly wouldn’t be surprising if he gets an NHL opportunity as soon as he gets through the mandatory quarantine period.