After spending the entire 2019-20 season in the AHL, Dillon Heatherington has decided to look elsewhere for his hockey employment. Heatherington has signed a one-year contract with Barys Nur-Sultan in the KHL.
The 25-year-old defenseman was originally a second-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2013 but ended up traded to the Dallas Stars organization before ever playing a game in the NHL. With the Stars, he ended up becoming a core member of their AHL team, reaching the Calder Cup Finals in 2018 and wearing a letter as alternate captain the following year. He also played in 12 games for Dallas during his time there, including a playoff game in 2019.
Now heading to the KHL, Heatherington is certainly not off the radar of NHL teams down the line. Still young enough to develop further and big enough to make scouts believe he could play a role, it seems likely that you’ll hear his name again down the line as a potential free agent signing in North America.