The NHL may have a holiday roster freeze, but there’s still plenty of action ongoing in Europe. A few recognizable names are on the move, including Drew Shore. The former top prospect, who last played in North America in 2016-17 with the Vancouver Canucks, is now in his fourth season in Europe, split between the Swiss NLA and KHL. Shore began this season with the KHL’s Dinamo Minsk, but after a hot start has been moved to Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Shore, who has 17 points in 24 games thus far, moves up the KHL’s Western Conference standings from a basement dweller to a team competing for a playoff spot.
- With the addition of Shore, Torpedo has opted to trade another NHL veteran, Quinton Howden, to Vityaz Podolsk. Howden, a former Florida Panthers prospect like Shore, last suited up in the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets in 2016-17. Howden had 13 points in 36 games prior to the trade, but Torpedo essentially sold Howden, using the money to pay for a more productive player in Shore. It’s a somewhat risky move however, seeing as how Vityaz holds a higher position in the standings than Nizhny Novgorod.
- Veteran goaltender Jeff Zatkoff will be staying overseas a while longer. The former Penguins and Kings keeper, who last played in North America in 2017-18, has signed an extension with the Straubing Tigers of Germany’s DEL. Now in his second season with the Tigers, Zatkoff has excelled since moving to Germany and it makes sense that the 32-year-old would like to stay put.