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David Desharnais

David Desharnais, Viktor Stalberg Heading To NLA

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Two familiar NHL names are on their way to Switzerland for the 2019-20 season, as HC Fribourg-Gotteron have announced that David Desharnais and Viktor Stalberg have signed on for two years.

Desharnais, 32, had an effective season for the New York Rangers in 2017-18 but decided to try out the KHL this year. His 28 points in 58 games for Avangard tied him for fifth in team scoring, and he added another seven assists during the team’s improbable Gagarin Cup Final run. The long time Montreal Canadiens forward suited up for 524 games in the NHL, recording a career-high of 60 points in the 2011-12 season. He had previously played in Switzerland during the 2012-13 lockout.

Stalberg, 33, actually joined Desharnais in the KHL partway through the season after leaving the NLA and recorded 11 points in 29 games down the stretch. The journeyman forward played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes and Ottawa Senators during a long career in North America, even winning the Stanley Cup in 2013. The speedy forward had 168 points in 488 regular season NHL games, but hasn’t played there since 2017.

Sergei Shumakov Signs With KHL’s Avangard Omsk

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Sergei Shumakov was applauded for sticking with North American hockey when his contract with the Washington Capitals was terminated earlier this month. It turns out he wasn’t that committed to staying on the continent. Just eleven days after signing with the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds, Shumakov has jumped ship in favor of a return to the KHL. Avangard Omsk have announced that they have signed Shumakov to a three-year contract.

Shumakov, 26, made headlines when he signed with the Capitals this off-season. The talented forward had been playing for Sibir Novosibirsk of the KHL since he was a teenager, before moving to CSKA Moscow last year. Shumakov helped CSKA to a finals appearance behind a 40-point effort and +28 rating in 47 regular season games and another four points in eleven postseason games. Many felt that would be a good fit in Washington, a team that has had great success with Russian players. However, Shumakov was unable to earn a spot on the Capitals roster in training camp and was relegated to beginning his North American career with the AHL’s Hershey Bears. Shumakov recorded four points in ten games with the Bears before requesting his release from Washington. Shumakov then joined the Thunderbirds, perhaps hoping he might earn another shot at the NHL with their parent club, the Florida Panthers, or another team, and added one point in three games.

However, when Avangard came calling with a lucrative, long-term contract, Shumakov likely couldn’t resist a return to the league that he so recently excelled in. Omsk is currently a top five team in the KHL and leading the Chernyshev Division. They add Shumakov to a roster that already boasts a number of NHL alumni, including veteran defensemen Cody Franson, Alexei Emelin, and Evgeny Medvedev and experienced scorers Sergei Shirokov, David Desharnais, Maxime Talbot, and Viktor Stalberg. Shumakov should fit right in with this group and make Omsk and even more dangerous team this season and beyond in the KHL.

Snapshots: Doughty, Nylander, Altybarmakyan

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The Toronto Maple Leafs ended up landing the biggest fish of free agency in John Tavares, but long before the Tavares sweepstakes even began, the team was linked to Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty. Doughty, a Toronto area native, ended up signing an eight-year, $88MM extension early this off-season, ending any thoughts that he might be a free agent in the summer of 2019. So where did the homecoming rumors come from? Doughty has now admitted, via TSN, that he never seriously considered moving on from L.A. Instead, he floated the idea of departing the Kings for the Maple Leafs as a negotiation tactic. Doughty negotiated his latest deal without an agent and, in order to ensure he wasn’t taken advantage of, made sure he had some leverage on his side. The rumors that he might leave if able to test the free agent market surely encouraged the Kings to give him what he wanted on his latest extension, the largest contract for a defenseman in NHL history.

  • Another player who has no interest in signing with the Maple Leafs, at least not at their current offer, is restricted free agent forward William Nylander. Toronto and their young forward seem to be at an impasse in contract negotiations and the December 1st deadline, after which Nylander would be prohibited from playing in the NHL this season, is starting to look like a real possibility. Should that come to fruition, Nylander would likely turn to the KHL for his paycheck this season. Nylander’s rights are held by Avangard Omsk, currently led by former NHL head coach Bob Hartley, who recently spoke to TSN about his excitement about the possibility of having Nylander on the roster this season. Avangard already added Cody Franson, Alexei Emelin, David Desharnais, and Kris Versteeg this off-season and could really make waves in the KHL by adding Nylander to the mix. Nylander is currently skating in his native Sweden and could make the short trip over to Russia rather than the trip back across the Atlantic this season, if talks continue to go poorly with the Maple Leafs.
  • Staying in the KHL, Chicago Blackhawks prospect Andrei Altybarmakyan is on the move. The 20-year-old winger was traded today, swapped by SKA St. Petersburg to HK Sochi for fellow young forward Ivan Larichev, the league reports. Both Altybarmakyan and Larichev are fringe KHLers with limited experience at the highest level, but Sochi appears to be the long-term winner in this deal, acquiring the 2017 third-round pick. There has been no indication that Altybarmakyan is heading over to North America any time soon and could continue to develop into a bona fide starter for Sochi down the road.

Alexei Emelin Signs Three-Year Pact With KHL’s Avangard Omsk

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Long-time Montreal Canadiens defenseman Alexei Emelin agreed to terms this morning with Avangard Omsk, one day after the KHL team signed Kris Versteeg. The 32-year-old Emelin, who played six years in Montreal and then finished out his contract last year with the Nashville Predators, was having trouble finding work in the NHL, but opted to return to the KHL where he played parts of eight seasons.

Emelin arrived in the NHL at age 25, but almost immediately stepped into the Canadiens’ top-four and averaged close to 20 minutes a night throughout most of his NHL career. However, Montreal opted to expose Emelin and his $4.1MM contract in the expansion draft last year and Vegas took the bait, selecting him and then flipping him to Nashville for a third-round pick in the 2019 draft. The Predators brought the veteran defenseman on board to provide top-four depth while Ryan Ellis sat out for the first three months of the season after undergoing knee surgery. Emelin did that, but saw his minutes decrease significantly once Ellis returned as he was forced into the team’s third-line pairing.

Once a free agent, the 32-year-old struggled finding work as his lack of speed worked against him in a league where teams are looking to get faster. Emelin, however, showed he still has value as he managed to register 181 hits as well as blocking 109 shots last season, suggesting he should continue to fare well in the KHL. While Emelin will join Versteeg, he will also join up with two former Habs as well, including Alexander Perezhogin and David Desharnais.

David Desharnais Re-Signs In KHL

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Teams looking for some last minute free agent shopping could have received some good news earlier this week when it came out that NHL veteran David Desharnais was set to terminate his contract with HC Lokomotiv in the KHL, but it turns out that he won’t be coming back to North America. The 31-year old Desharnais has signed a one-year deal with Avangard Omsk and will be remaining in the KHL this season.

It was quickly reported after the termination news surfaced that Desharnais would be switching KHL clubs, but it wasn’t clear where he’d be headed. We know now that he’ll be joining long-time NHL head coach Bob Hartley in Omsk, where he’ll likely play a key role. Desharnais doesn’t appear to be anywhere near the end of his playing career, and is actually coming off a season with the New York Rangers where he posted 28 points in 71 games. Though there may not be a ton of room left for him in the NHL, there’s no reason to believe that he won’t find a lot of success in the KHL.

An offensive dynamo in junior, Desharnais went undrafted partly because of his small stature and had to fight his way up through the minor leagues. That included an incredible 106-point season in 2007-08 with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL, in which he registered a 27-game point streak and put up one of the best playoff performances in the history of the league with 33 points in 22 games. Desharnais would find relative success in the AHL, and become a 60-point player for the Montreal Canadiens in 2011-12. In the KHL he’ll face a new test, but could potentially set himself up for another contract in North America next summer. Given the lack of center depth for many teams around the league, it wouldn’t be surprising to see his name pop up down the road.

Minor Transactions: 08/21/18

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One day closer to the start of the NHL preseason, and there are more moves happening in other corners of the hockey world. We’ll keep track of them right here.

  • Igor Eronko of Sport-Express is reporting that David Desharnais will see his contract terminated in the KHL, only to sign with another team. Desharnais signed quickly this summer with HC Lokomotiv, but is apparently headed somewhere else to start his KHL journey. The diminutive center played 71 games for the New York Rangers last season and actually contributed 28 points, but took a deal just a few days into free agency to head overseas. Now 31-years old, Desharnais could eventually return to the NHL if he can prove his offensive touch is still around.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Martins Dzierkals has signed with Dinamo Riga of the KHL, heading back to his home country of Latvia after several years in North America. Drafted in the third round three years ago, Dzierkals never earned an NHL contract from the Maple Leafs but had been working with their development staff and playing in the ECHL. The talented forward will test his game at a higher level in 2017-18, and could try to earn a contract somewhere else in the NHL in the next few years.

David Desharnais, Others Sign In KHL

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Another center option is off the market, but David Desharnais isn’t going anywhere in the NHL. The diminutive center is headed overseas to join HC Lokomotiv in the KHL on a one-year contract. Iiro Pakarinen and Patrice Cormier have also signed one-year deals in the KHL, for Magnitogorsk and Barys Astana respectively. Victor Antipin, after trying one season with the Buffalo Sabres, is back with Magnitogorsk for three more seasons. Anton Slepyshev has also returned, signing a two-year contract with CSKA.

The KHL has become a landing spot for plenty of players unwilling to return to the minor leagues, but it’s kind of surprising that Desharnais decided so quickly to take his talents overseas. Scoring 28 points for the New York Rangers last season, he’s still only 31 and is a fine bottom-six center in the NHL. Perhaps he doesn’t want to play that type of role, as he’ll likely get much more ice time even powerplay experience in the KHL. Desharnais remember was once a 60-point player in the NHL, and put up some legendary seasons in the QMJHL as a junior player.  There is plenty of offensive talent in his game, something that was unlikely to show playing 12 minutes a night on the fourth line.

Antipin’s departure from Buffalo is a bit disappointing, given that he actually was fairly successful in his limited role there last season. Though he only played a little over 15 minutes a night in his 47 games, he looked like there could be a future for him in the NHL as a two-way defenseman. Instead, he’ll return to the KHL where he can continue to log big minutes for Magnitogorsk. There’s no guarantee that he doesn’t attempt to come back in three seasons, and since the Sabres didn’t extend him a qualifying offer he will be free to sign with whoever he wants.

David Desharnais Signs With Yaroslavl Lokomotiv

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Though we’ve known for a while that David Desharnais would be heading to the KHL, we now know where he’ll play in 2018-19. Louis Jean of TVA Sports reports that Desharnais has signed with Yaroslavl Lokomotiv, joining former NHL players like Maxime Talbot, Staffan Kronwall, and Brandon Kozun.

It’s surprising that Desharnais would make this decision so quickly, as even though there wasn’t likely a huge market for him this summer, he’s still a useful depth player. The 31-year old center had 28 points for the New York Rangers this season, and was once again a positive in the faceoff dot. Desharnais is obviously not the 60-point player of his youth, but there are plenty of teams that need fourth-line centers that can move up the lineup if needed.

Instead, he’ll avoid the perils of unrestricted free agency and go play in the KHL for the first time. The undrafted Desharnais spent some time in the NLA during the most recent lockout, but will have a new set of experiences playing in Russia. There is a good chance that he finds a lot of success for Lokomotiv, as he’s always been an effective offensive player when given the chance. It’s unclear how long he has signed for, but it’s likely that we’ll see Desharnais back in North America at some point.

Rangers’ David Desharnais Headed to KHL

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With the New York Rangers in rebuilding mode and the expected full-time roles that are likely to be given to top prospects Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil, the writing looked to be on the wall for veteran center David Desharnais. Now, European insider Igor Eronko reports that the 31-year-old Desharnais intends to continue his career overseas with the KHL.

Desharnais was unlikely to return to New York as he will be an unrestricted free agent in July. He signed a one-year, $1MM contract last summer to help offset the Rangers’ losses of Derek Stepan, who the team traded to Arizona, and Oscar Lindberg, who the team lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft. The team had hopes that Andersson might make the team out of training camp, but also wanted insurance in case the 18-year-old didn’t. Desharnais provided that depth after Andersson was returned to Sweden, and played 71 games, but tallied just six goals and 28 points this season.

While there is no word on whether he has a deal in place, Desharnais has spent most of his career in North America, having only played 16 games during the 2012-13 strike in Switzerland. Desharnais played most of his career for the Montreal Canadiens and had several good seasons, including 60-point, 52-point and 48-point seasons between 2011 to 2015 seasons. However injuries have derailed his career and the veteran has struggled to hold onto his roster spot as the Canadiens traded him to the Edmonton Oilers last season for their playoff run, while the Oilers opted not to re-sign him last offseason.

Edmonton Trades Brandon Davidson To Islanders

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The Edmonton Oilers announced they have traded defenseman Brandon Davidson to the New York Islanders in exchange for a 2019 third-round pick, a move that might be considered a win-win move for both teams.

For the Oilers, the team really cashed in on Davidson’s success this season considering he was untradeable just a couple of months ago. He was picked up in the middle of the year when Edmonton claimed him from the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 3. The Canadiens, who tried to trade him off could find no takers at the time and forced them into placing the blueliner on waivers. However, he fared well in Edmonton as a bottom-tier defenseman. The fact the team was able to get a third-rounder for him is an excellent move from Edmonton general manager Peter Chiarelli. Many people assumed the Oilers might keep the 26-year-old defenseman around for next season. Ironically, it marks the second time in two years the Oilers have traded Davidson at the trade deadline. They sent him last year to Montreal in exchange for forward David Desharnais.

As for the Islanders, the team adds some much needed defensive depth for a team that is struggling with injuries on the blueline. Davidson immediately fills in as a bottom-pairing defenseman where the team needs the most help. The Islanders, who have the No. 4-ranked offense in the NHL, need help on defense as they have allowed more goals per game than any other team in the league at 3.56 per game. Nevertheless, the Islanders are still fighting for a playoff spot, which if they can secure a spot, might aid them in their bid to re-sign center John Tavares at  the end of the season. Davidson, who makes $1.425MM this year will be a restricted free agent for the Islanders when the offseason hits. He is unlikely to make much more than that next season, making him a solid, inexpensive player who might fill the shoes of one of their potential defensive free agents like Calvin de Haan or Thomas Hickey.

Davidson played 13 games for the Canadiens earlier this year and had just one assist in limited playing time. He had played 23 games for the Oilers since being acquired and has had three goals and an assist and is averaging now 16:29 of ice time combined between both teams as the Oilers have used him quite a bit. While not a great puck-moving defenseman, Davidson is a solid defenseman who can hit hard.

The Islanders may still have a bigger move planned in the upcoming days before the deadline as they have moved a 2019 third-rounder instead of moving one of the multiple picks they have for this year’s draft. New York has two first-rounders, two second-rounders as well as their third, fourth and fifth round picks for 2018, most of which they picked up in the Travis Hamonic trade in the offseason with the Calgary Flames.

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