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Pavel Datsyuk

Pavel Datsyuk Signs In KHL

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There will be no NHL return for Pavel Datsyuk. The veteran Detroit Red Wings forward has officially signed with Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, his hometown team in the KHL.

This was always the most likely outcome, even if the 40-year old center had left the door slightly open by mentioning that the Red Wings would be the only team he would return for. It didn’t make a lot of sense for Detroit to bring him back during a short rebuild, especially as they try to establish their next franchise player in Dylan Larkin. Dastyuk, while still effective in the KHL, may have been more of a distraction than anything for the Red Wings this season.

Still, playing another year in his hometown is a nice capstone to an incredible career. Datsyuk was originally selected in the sixth round of the 1998 draft, and wouldn’t make his presence felt in Detroit for another few years. Once he hit the NHL scene however there was no stopping him, as the incredible two-way forward recorded 918 points in 953 regular season games while taking home three Selke trophies as the league’s top defensive forward and leading the Red Wings to two Stanley Cups. As he got older, he returned to Russia to be closer to his family and continued his outstanding production, posting 147 points in 166 KHL contests and taking home the Gagarin Cup in 2017. There is very little that Datsyuk hasn’t accomplished, especially after finally winning an Olympic gold medal last spring as captain of the Olympic Athletes from Russia.

It seems extremely unlikely that Datsyuk will consider an NHL return now, meaning the 2015-16 season will be his last in North America.

Snapshots: Datsyuk, Faulk, Karlsson, Sutter

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Despite some initial speculation early this off-season, it seems an NHL comeback for Pavel Datsyuk is unlikely. Speaking to Helene St. James of The Detroit Free Press, agent Dan Milstein stated that Datsyuk’s probable landing spot remains his home town of Yekaterinburg with the KHL’s Avtomobilist. A free agent after wrapping up a very successful three-year stint with SKA St. Petersburg, Datsyuk made it known that he was leaving SKA and was hoping to land somewhere more familiar to he and his family. The 40-year-old center’s NHL rights are currently owned by the Arizona Coyotes, but they expire on July 1st with the start of the new league year. As such, there was some thought that he could return to the Detroit Red Wings, where he spent all 14 years of his NHL career. Datsyuk would be joining a team now run by fellow Red Wings legend Steve Yzerman and even in his advanced age, Datsyuk would have had the chance to return to a key role for Detroit. Although he recently visited the city and reportedly spoke to Yzerman and company, Milstein maintains that Datsyuk is more likely to settle into a cushy role in Yekaterinburg. “We are meeting in the coming days to discuss options and future plans,” Milstein said, but it seems that the decision is already close to being made. “It’s very likely Pavel will live up to his promise of playing for his hometown team in Russia.”

  • In an article offering up some trade suggestions over the waning days of the NHL postseason for those teams no longer in the running, USA Today’s Kevin Allen notes that teams may not want to waste their time trying to pry a defenseman out of Carolina. The Hurricanes succeeded this season largely because of their strength on the back end and GM Don Waddell appears more concerned with maintaining that depth rather than leveraging it. Allen reports that the team is engaged in extension talks with long-time stalwart Justin Faulk, whose current contract expires after next season. Allen adds that the team is not interested in dealing Faulk or any of their top-four defensemen at this time, which certainly includes Dougie Hamilton, Jaccob Slavin, and Brett Pesce, but may also include their big free agent addition from last summer, Calvin de Haan. The one defenseman who might have been dangled as trade bait is Trevor van Riemsdyk who, like Faulk, has only one year remaining on his contract. However, a long-term injury that will see van Riemsdyk on the sidelines to begin the season will probably put a damper on any trade talks. van Riemsdyk’s early-season absence will also allow youngsters Haydn Fleury and Jake Bean to see some NHL ice time, keeping all blue line parties content through another season at least.
  • Offer sheets remain a rare occurrence in the NHL – the last came in 2013 – but that doesn’t stop talk from spreading every off-season that one of the top restricted free agents could finally land such an offer. One prominent RFA whose name has not been associated with an offer sheet thus far, perhaps should be, writes David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Schoen believes that center William Karlsson is a prime candidate for an offer sheet this summer. The Vegas Golden Knights are already buried in payroll and the off-season has yet to begin. CapFriendly estimates that they are already over the projected $83MM ceiling for next season, yet still have Karlsson, Nikita Gusev, Malcolm Subban, and others to re-sign. The Knights will be forced to move out salary regardless, but a substantial offer sheet signed by Karlsson may be too much for Vegas to match. Specifically, Schoen names the Carolina Hurricanes, Ottawa Senators, Minnesota Wild, and Detroit Red Wings as potential suitors, citing cap space and need for all four teams.
  • While it is not a done deal, the Los Angeles Kings don’t appear worried about losing one of their key free agents. Fox Sports’ Jon Rosen reports that the Kings are close to extending Brett Sutter, the captain of the AHL’s Ontario Reign. Sutter, 32, is a respected veteran who Rosen states is a “great conduit between the coaching staff and dressing room.” An experienced and productive minor league forward, Sutter is the type of dedicated player that all organizations like to have around and it seems he will be back with L.A. for at least one more year.

Morning Notes: Datsyuk, Worlds, Fix-Wolansky

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Pavel Datsyuk’s contract has come to an end with SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL, but he’s not yet a completely unrestricted free agent. Datsyuk’s NHL rights still belong to the Arizona Coyotes until July 1st after they took on his contract in a cap relief deal. Still, Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News reports that the veteran forward is on his way to Michigan soon to discuss options with his agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey, and that he would only return to the NHL for the Detroit Red Wings.

That by no means guarantees a return for Datsyuk, who according to Kulfan would also consider playing for his hometown team in Russia. That would be Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, who actually had an outstanding 2018-19 season but were upset in the second round of the Gagarin Cup playoffs. That option still does seem the most likely, given that Datsyuk will turn 41 in July.

  • Auston Matthews won’t be heading to the IIHF World Championship later this month, but the next potential American-born first-overall pick will be there instead. John Shannon of Sportsnet reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs star would not take part in the tournament, but Jack Hughes will join his brother on the USA squad. Hughes has just finished smashing nearly every record possible over the last year in the USNDTP and U-18 tournament, and will now try to show off his skills for the New Jersey Devils who hold the top pick in June’s draft.
  • Team Canada has also added another player to their roster, bringing in Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jared McCann. The Canadians have a few spots left for late additions, but will rely on the likes of John Tavares, Sean Couturier and Mark Stone to form the veteran core up front.
  • The Cleveland Monsters have added Trey Fix-Wolansky on an amateur tryout for the rest of the season, after his Edmonton Oil Kings were eliminated from WHL playoff contention. Fix-Wolansky was a seventh-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2018 but put up 102 points in 65 games as the captain of the Oil Kings this season, and has already signed his entry-level contract that will kick in next season.

Pavel Datsyuk Not Contemplating Retirement Yet

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When Pavel Datsyuk left North America in the summer of 2016 to return to Russia for his family, it seemed like he would play a few years in the KHL and then hang up his skates. After all, he was leaving the NHL just before his 38th birthday and had just experienced his worst offensive season (on a point-per-game basis at least) since he was a rookie. There were obvious signs of him slowing down, but he has found great success in Russia since leaving the Detroit Red Wings. That success may keep him going a while longer, at least according to his agent.

In an interview given in Russian, agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey makes it clear that Datsyuk isn’t considering retirement just yet. In fact, Milstein leaves the door open on a potential return to the Red Wings, explaining that it would be the right spot to return to if his client decided to pursue an NHL comeback. Datsyuk will at least continue playing hockey through his 41st birthday which comes this July, given his success with SKA St. Petersberg once again this season.

Since returning to the KHL, Datsyuk has recorded 103 points in 125 games, won a Gagarin Cup in 2017 and an Olympic gold last year as captain of the “Olympic Athletes from Russia” team. His current deal with SKA expires at the end of April and his NHL rights—currently held by Arizona—would also expire on July 1st leaving him an unrestricted free agent. Despite that, it still seems unlikely that he would ever pursue a return to the NHL at this point. Milstein explains that it was all up to Datsyuk to leave in the first place, and it would take the same sort of decision to return. More likely, Datsyuk will continue playing in the KHL and add to his already incredible career on the ice.

Western Notes: Tarasenko, Horvat, Kaprisov

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Many people had high hopes that St. Louis Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko would take that next step this year and become that franchise player that everyone has been waiting for. However, despite those hopes, Tarasenko had a down year. After averaging close to 39 goals per season over the past three years, the 26-year old’s goal totals dropped to 33, while his point totals went from 75 to 66.

The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (subscription required) writes that one possibility of Tarasenko’s struggles is the fact that the team traded away his three closest friends in Jori Lehtera, Ryan Reaves and Kevin Shattenkirk. Not having them around did have an effect on how Tarasenko handled himself around the team and the scribe said that both Shattenkirk and Reaves had a way of keeping the star level-headed and in check.

While the team would have little interest in bringing back Lehtera and unrealistic to bring back Shattenkirk, the team may consider bringing back Reaves, who will be an unrestricted free agent. The question there is whether the Blues could find playing time for the power forward. Reaves struggled with the Pittsburgh Penguins and has not played for the Vegas Golden Knights in the playoffs yet, which suggests he may not be the same player he once was. Regardless, Rutherford adds that if they do attempt to bring back Reaves, that would spell the end of Chris Thorburn, who essentially plays that same role.

  • Vancouver Canucks Bo Horvat is playing for Team Canada in the World Championships with one thing in mind. The Vancouver Sun’s Ben Kuzma writes that the team captain was told by the team during exit interviews at the end of the season to keep working on his two-way game. Horvat, who had a career-high in goals scored with 22, has emphasized working on his skating while in Denmark. “For me, it’s to work on my skating — you can never be too fast,” said Horvat, who also said working on his defensive awareness is another skill he’s been working on.
  • The Minnesota Wild have had no luck changing the mind of prospect Kirill Kaprisov, according to The Athletic’s Craig Custance (subscription required). The 21-year-old Russian prospect has been playing alongside long-time Detroit Red Wings star Pavel Datsyuk at the IIHF World Championships and the two have been a great combination. However, despite the youngster’s success and the Wild’s desperate need for a young scorer, his agent Dan Milstein reiterated that he will not come to the U.S. until his contract in the KHL expires. He still has two years remaining with CSKA Moscow. “Kirill has two years left on his KHL contract which he intends to fulfill. Long-term plan is to play in the NHL,” Milstein wrote via e-mail.

Pavel Datsyuk Signs One-Year Extension In KHL

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Though there had been some speculation that Pavel Datsyuk could potentially return to North America next season, since his contract with SKA St. Petersburg was ending, agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey ended any rumors today. Milstein announced that Datsyuk had signed a one-year extension with SKA to remain in the KHL, and is preparing for the World Championships.

Not only will Datsyuk not be returning to the NHL, but he also is off the market for a return to his hometown club in Russia. Instead, he’ll remain with the powerhouse St. Petersburg team for another year, and try to win another Gagarin Cup.

The legendary Detroit Red Wings forward added an Olympic gold medal to his trophy case this year, putting him into the exclusive “Triple Gold” club with Stanley Cup and World Championship victories. Add in a Gagarin Cup as KHL champion and an RSL Championship before coming to North America in the first place, and Dastyuk has basically won everything he could ever dream of. The four-time Lady Byng and three-time Selke winner left the NHL in 2016 with 918 points in 953 games, citing a need to be closer to his growing family.

Russia Announces Olympic Roster

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Even though they’ll have to compete under a neutral flag and call themselves Olympic Athletes from Russia, the RIHF didn’t shy away from their branding on the release of the 25-man roster. Team Russia is the likely favorite for the tournament, loaded with talent from the KHL including quite a few former NHL stars

The full roster is as follows:

G Igor Shestyorkin
G Ilya Sorokin
G Vasily Koshechkin

D Artyom Zub
D Dinar Khafizullin
D Vladislav Gavrikov
D Slava Voynov
D Andrei Zubarev
D Alexey Marchenko
D Bogdan Kiselevich
D Nikita Nesterov

F Ivan Telegin
F Sergei Mozyakin
F Sergei Andronov
F Pavel Datsyuk
F Sergey Kalinin
F Mikhail Grigorenko
F Ilya Kablukov
F Kirill Kaprizov
F Sergei Shirokov
F Ilya Kovalchuk
F Nikolai Prokhorkin
F Vadim Shipachyov
F Alexander Barabanov
F Nikita Gusev

Five Russian Players Not Invited To Participate At Olympics

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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has extended invitations to 42 of the 47 players submitted by the Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RIHF) for consideration for the upcoming Games. Interestingly though, the IOC did not invite the following players to participate:

D Anton Belov
D Alexei Bereglazov
D Mikhail Naumenkov
F Valeri Nichushkin
F Sergei Plotnikov

The RIHF released a statement following the decision, stating that the five players have not been banned from international competitions and are not guilty of any doping violations. Still, the reasons for the snub have not been given and the RIHF has reached out for some clarity.

These would seem to be fairly important omissions for Russia, especially on defense where the club is relatively thin. By looking at the remaining names that did receive invitations one can start to see how the team will be made up. 25 names that make up the roster will will be released on Thursday.

F Sergei Andronov
F Alexander Barabanov
F Anton Burdasov
D Vyacheslav Voynov
D Vladislav Gavrikov
F Nikita Gusev
F Mikhail Grigorenko
F Pavel Datsyuk
G Vasily Demchenko
D Artyom Zub
D Andrei Zubarev
F Sergey Kalinin
F Kirill Kaprizov
D Bogdan Kiselevich
F Ilya Kovalchuk
G Vasily Koshechkin
F Ilya Kablukov
F Evgeny Ketov
F Pavel Kraskovsky
F Yegor Korshkov
F Roman Lyubimov
D Ilya Lyubushkin
D Alexey Marchenko
F Sergei Mozyakin
D Nikita Nesterov
F Nikolai Prokhorkin
D Yegor Rykov
G Ilya Samsonov
F Andrei Svetlakov
G Ilya Sorokin
F Viktor Tikhonov
F Ivan Telegin
F Vladimir Tkachyov (unclear which one)
D Nikita Tryamkin
F Maxim Shalunov
G Alexander Sharychenkov
F Sergei Shirokov
F Vadim Shipachyov
F Sergei Shumakov
G Igor Shestyorkin
F Dinar Khafizullin
D Yegor Yakovlev

Conspicuously missing is Andrei Markov, who has had a very successful season for Ak-Bars in the KHL after leaving the Montreal Canadiens, scoring 28 points in 52 games. Why he was left off the preliminary list is unclear, though perhaps they wanted to go in a younger direction on defense.

KHL Players Going To 2018 Winter Olympics

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9:20am: The KHL has actually retracted their previous statement about allowing players to go, now saying that “participation is not resolved.” We’ll continue to update when the next statement is made by the KHL Board of Governors.

8:20am: When the IOC announced that Russia would be banned from the upcoming 2018 Olympic Games, it wasn’t clear where that left the KHL. The league had previously warned that should Russia be left out of the Games, the entire league may avoid a shutdown and not let players from any country attend. That would have been devastating for Hockey Canada and USA Hockey, relying on professionals playing in the KHL to make up a good chunk of their teams.

For Team Russia themselves, they were given an option to play under a neutral flag as “OAR” or “Olympic Athletes from Russia” but it wasn’t clear if the country would want to pursue that opportunity. After Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he would support athletes competing under the Olympic flag, many KHL players including Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk spoke to the KHL to try and secure a guarantee that they could go. They’ve done just that according to Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber of Reuters, who reports that the KHL Board of Directors “wished luck to all KHL players” that were headed to Pyeongchang.

It’s not clear how exactly the OAR team will work, but it will likely compete in a similar fashion to the Unified Team in 1992. That year, countries that made up the former Soviet Union iced a team that took home gold in men’s hockey, playing under an Olympic flag. We could see the same thing happen once again, as players like Kovalchuk and Datsyuk take on the relatively weak rosters of the rest of the world.

Dan Sexton: A Top U.S. Olympic Option?

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With an NHL-free Olympics all but certain at this point, every country will need to take a different path toward filling out their rosters for the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The field promises to be much more wide open than what the world has traditionally seen in the past 20-odd years. European squads have the benefit of entire leagues worth of talent to call upon, while Canada and the U.S. will be short-handed by not being able to use those in the NHL or even in the AHL on two-way contracts.

Thus far, many have assumed that the North American power houses will draw primarily from AHL contracts, while potentially scooping up those playing in Europe or even some NCAA players as well. For the United States, USA Today estimates that there are 200 Americans playing abroad this season, yet they mention only a few names, such as Mark Arcobello, Drew Shore, and Andy Miele, as foreign options before again turning their attention toward the minors and collegiate game.

However, one name that has seemingly slipped through the cracks in early Olympic consideration is KHL forward Dan Sexton. Far from a household name, the 30-year-old Sexton played college hockey at Bowling Green University before signing with the Anaheim Ducks in 2009. Sexton skated in 88 games with the Ducks between the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons, recording 32 points in a bottom-six role. Sexton routinely watched from the press box as well, and after four years with Anaheim spent largely in the AHL and as the team’s extra forward, he decided to move on with his hockey career. After a breakout campaign of nearly point-per-game scoring with TPS of the Finnish Liiga in 2013-14, the Minnesota-native signed on with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk of the KHL and hasn’t looked back. In 2014-15, he kept his torrid pace up, scoring 47 points in 49 games in what many consider to be the best hockey league in the world behind the NHL. After an injury-riddled, albeit still productive, 2015-16 season, Sexton was back at it last year. With 50 points in 51 games, Sexton finished in the top 15 in KHL scoring and was tenth overall in points per game. He was the top-scoring right wing in the entire league. Sexton is far and away the best American in the league, especially with Brandon Bochenski now retired, and will look to hold on to that title through Olympic selection process. Thus far in the early KHL season, Sexton is tied for the league lead in scoring with none other than Pavel Datsyuk with five points in three contests.

With many Olympic candidates lacking the name recognition and pedigree that NHLers would normally bring, the most important qualifier for selection to Team USA will likely simply be “what have you done for me lately?”. The hottest players in the top non-NHL league will most likely get the call. Even though the United States boasts a talented group of young options in the AHL and NCAA, it will be hard to ignore the veteran Sexton if he continues to produce at high level in Europe’s top hockey league. A small, but speedy play-maker who has clearly adjusted well to the international game, Sexton could very well be one of the highlights of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games for American fans.

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