Thursday: Zykov has cleared waivers and is now on his way to the minor leagues. The Golden Knights quickly assigned him to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL.
Wednesday: It may come as no surprise after the way his suspension was handled earlier this year, but Valentin Zykov has been placed on waivers by the Vegas Golden Knights according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Tonight’s Golden Knights game is the last of Zykov’s 20-game suspension for testing positive for a banned substance, after which he could potentially return to the lineup.
Notably when the suspension was issued, the Golden Knights immediately distanced themselves from any guilt, releasing a statement that put the blame entirely on Zykov. Vegas indicated that he “knowingly used a banned substance without the consent, recommendation or knowledge” of the team, a far cry from the support they gave Nate Schmidt when he was given a similar suspension a year prior.
Obviously waivers isn’t necessarily an end to the relationship, but it does show that the team is willing to risk losing Zykov to another team and go with the group they currently have. The 24-year old forward has played in just 47 games at the NHL level but does have 15 points, including two assists earlier this year in the seven games he played before getting suspended.
Sacrificial lamb to prove a point, or do they still firmly believe Schmidt was on the up and up? I’m inclined to go with they truly believe Schmidt, as do I. But it’s worth considering.
They absolutely still believe Schmidt. Just based on the “experts” testimonial used at the appeal.
Zykov seems to be a bust at this point. I assume he will be headed to play in the KHL. Too bad. He scored 50 goals on my NHL video game.
Seems like a no-brainer for the Habs. He’ll get a couple week audition and if he sucks, we can demote him (and he’ll pass through waivers) again
Belief had nothing to do with it. They stood by Schmidt because he is a key cog in the team, Zykov is not. It’s as simple as that!