Former Capitals forward Brendan Leipsic appears to be on the way to the KHL. Sergei Isakov, his Russia-based agent, told Sport-Express in Russia that Leipsic is closing in on a two-year deal with CSKA Moscow.
The 26-year-old spent this season with Washington after signing a one-year, one-way deal for the league minimum salary of $700K last July. He played in 61 games primarily on the fourth line, picking up three goals and eight assists while logging just 9:10 per night, a career low by a considerable margin.
However, he was released back in May after he made misogynistic comments on social media while also disparaging his linemates with the Caps. The team wasted little time placing him on contract termination waivers which he cleared.
It’s no surprise that Leipsic will be heading overseas to continue his career, an outcome that may have occurred even without his recent comments. While he was a prolific scorer in junior and a productive player at the AHL level, that hadn’t materialized in the form of NHL production. Switching leagues should give him an opportunity to play more of an offensive-minded role which is something he hasn’t had a chance to do for a while.
good riddance
Now, when he says something even more stupid, he has the built-in excuse of “lost in translation, see *official* transcript in Pravda”… And, with any luck, he’ll be able to build a nice post-KHL retirement bungalo on the Kamchatka Peninsula (the toasty part)…
Lucky for him, most Russian women are on the skinny side, so…he should be OK.