It was a short stay in North America for Canucks center prospect Dmitri Zlodeyev. After spending last season on an AHL contract with their affiliate in Abbotsford, he’s returning to his native Russia with Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League on a two-year deal, per the club.
Zlodeyev, 22, was a Vancouver sixth-round pick back in 2020. The 5’11” pivot had middling offensive numbers in Russian juniors during his draft year, posting 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists) in 42 games. But he was still viewed as high as a second-round-caliber pick by some, including TSN’s Craig Button.
He slowly worked his way up the Russian professional ranks over the following few seasons but never cemented himself as a full-time KHL talent. Zlodeyev instead plied his trade in the VHL, Russia’s second-tier pro league. In 2022-23, Zlodeyev played his first full season of professional hockey, recording 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in 33 games for VHL side Khimik Voskresensk. He also played 18 games on a call-up to the KHL’s Spartak Moscow, where he had one assist – his lone KHL point to date.
It was enough to convince the Canucks to bring him over, but not on an entry-level contract. He instead signed a minor-league pact with their affiliate in Abbotsford, but Zlodeyev failed to make an impact. He was a frequent scratch and dealt with injuries, appearing in just 21 games throughout last season. He scored once and had a -5 rating and also went pointless with a -3 rating in four playoff games.
Outmatched at the AHL level, it’s not surprising to see Zlodeyev head back overseas. As a draft pick out of a Russian league, the Canucks will hold his exclusive signing rights indefinitely should he ever attempt to make the jump to the NHL. He joins the Predators’ Semyon Chistyakov, the Avalanche’s Mikhail Gulyayev and the Hurricanes’ Alexander Perevalov as NHL-affiliated prospects on Omsk’s roster this season.