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Marat Khusnutdinov Re-Signs In KHL

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Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, Minnesota Wild fans. A Russian prospect has re-signed in the KHL before he participates in an international tournament. Marat Khusnutdinov has signed a new deal with SKA St. Petersburg that will keep him under contract through 2023-24, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic.

Khusnutdinov, 19, was the 37th overall pick in 2020 and looked to be developing quite well in the KHL. As Russo points out, his ice time was slashed recently, which is often a tactic used against young players that are considering leaving for North America. Instead of signing with the Wild this summer, he’ll stay overseas for at least two more seasons, where the team has no control over his development or playing time.

This case isn’t quite as drastic as what happened with Kirill Kaprizov, given Khusnutdinov will only be 21 when this contract ends, but there’s no guarantee he signs at that point either. The young forward is about to take part in his second World Juniors–on North American ice–where he should star once again. In 29 KHL games this season he has four goals and 11 points.

Because the NHL and KHL do not have a transfer agreement, Minnesota will retain Khusnutdinov’s draft rights indefinitely. The two leagues do respect each other’s contracts though, meaning the Wild will have to wait until this one expires to ink him to an entry-level deal. There are mechanisms (namely player-driven buyouts) to break a KHL contract, though that is unlikely with such a young player.

Montreal Canadiens To Terminate Arsen Khisamutdinov’s Contract

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Dec 10: Khisamutdinov has cleared waivers and will have his contract terminated.

Dec 9: The Montreal Canadiens have announced that they have mutually agreed to terminate the contract of Arsen Khisamutdinov, presumably placing him on unconditional waivers today to do so. Khisamutdinov is in the second season of a two-year, entry-level contract signed in 2020. A termination would make him a free agent and clear the way for a return to the KHL.

It’s easy to see why the 23-year-old forward would want out, given he’s been playing at the ECHL level so far this season. After 15 unspectacular appearances for the Laval Rocket last season, Khisamutdinov has five points in 10 games for the Trois-Rivieres Lions in 2021-22. That’s not going to keep many KHL talents in North America, though the young forward hasn’t really even proved himself at that level either. Selected in the sixth round of the 2019 draft (after going undrafted previously) he has 41 games of KHL experience under his belt, with eight points.

For Montreal, this is actually a positive, as it gives them an extra contract slot to work with moving forward. The team is currently at 48 of their 50 allotted contracts, with one more to be opened once Khisamutdinov clears and the termination is executed tomorrow.

Steven Kampfer Signs KHL Extension

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It was somewhat surprising when veteran defenseman Steven Kampfer got a jumpstart on his free agency this summer by signing in the KHL before the NHL market had even opened. Kampfer was coming off of a 20-game season with the Boston Bruins, bringing his career NHL games played total to 231. While used mostly as a depth option in his career, the 33-year-old had proven himself as a dependable puck-mover in a pinch. For whatever reason, Kampfer decided to move on from that role and inked a one-year deal with Ak Bars Kazan, putting his NHL future in doubt.

Well, it seems Kampfer wasn’t thinking too much about an NHL future anyhow. Playing outside of North America for the first time, Kampfer has excelled with Kazan, recording 17 points in 36 games for the third-best mark on the team right now and on pace for a career high in single season production in his pro career. While Ak Bars currently sits tenth in the KHL league standings, they are in the bottom third of the league in scoring making Kampfer’s contributions even more valuable. The team had decided to show their appreciation with an extension, locking up Kampfer for one more year. The team announced a new one-year deal with their “leader”, with the team release calling him one of the best defenders in the KHL.

Ak Bars also slipped in an “at least” when talking about Kampfer’s one-year extension, so his KHL career could still be far from over. If the veteran keeps producing and wants to keep playing, it seems he has found a home in Kazan. While this all but puts an end to a possible NHL return, it is nice to see Kampfer get the recognition that he wasn’t always shown in North America. The University of Michigan product played nine years in the NHL with four teams, but was never better than in his rookie season with Boston in 2010-11, when he recorded career highs in points and time on ice in 38 games. Traded five different times, much of Kampfer’s career shortcoming can be attributed to a lack of opportunity and loyalty. He has seemingly found both in the KHL.

Pontus Aberg Clears Unconditional Waivers

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Dec 6: Aberg has cleared waivers and the Senators have announced his contract will be terminated. He becomes an unrestricted free agent.

Dec 5: Pontus Aberg’s North American comeback will be short-lived. TSN’s Chris Johnston reports that the veteran forward has been placed on unconditional waivers today for the purpose of contract termination. Aberg will return to Europe once clear of the Senators, likely heading back to the KHL where he played last season.

Aberg, 28, returned to North America this season by signing a one-year deal with Ottawa. He had last played in the NHL in 2019-20 with the Toronto Maple Leafs and even earned a qualifying offer from the team, but opted to head to the KHL in search of greater opportunity. Aberg had only played in five NHL games with Toronto and had only 132 career games over six pro seasons. Though a second-round pick in 2012 and always an impressive performer in the AHL, Aberg had rarely been given a fair shake with five different clubs and likely felt that he could burn his final year as a restricted free agent and better showcase his ability and boost his market value in Russia. He did just that, recording 23 points in 49 games with Traktor Chelyabinsk and attracting an offer from the Senators.

However, it was right back to the same old thing for Aberg this season. The veteran forward failed to crack the Ottawa roster out of training camp, despite the rebuilding club’s apparent lack of depth, and had not been recalled by the Senators either. He has 11 points in 19 games with AHL Belleville, but it seemingly has not put him in line for an NHL opportunity. As frequently is the case, Aberg can very likely get a better contract in the KHL than his AHL salary, which is a palatable trade-off for an older player if NHL action (and pay) does not seem likely. Given his age and track record, this is likely the last of Aberg in North America.

Dmitry Zavgorodniy Assigned To KHL

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After assigning Yan Kuznetsov to the CHL a few days ago, the Calgary Flames have found some extra playing time for another one of their prospects. Dmitry Zavgorodniy has been assigned to HC Sochi in the KHL, which will hopefully give him a bit of a bigger opportunity.

Zavgorodniy, 21, was a seventh-round pick of the Flames in 2018 and signed his entry-level contract a year later. That deal, which slid forward one season, will expire after the 2022-23 campaign. He spent most of last season with the Stockton Heat, scoring four points in 29 games, but has been held scoreless in six appearances for the AHL squad this year.

The most recent of those appearances was weeks ago, as he fell out of the regular rotation even for the bottom six. He’ll now head overseas, but remain under contract with the Flames. A very strong junior player, Zavgorodniy had 29 goals and 67 points in 40 games for the Rimouski Oceanic in 2019-20.

Prospect Notes: Peterka, Reichel, Zavgorodniy, Byfield

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Sabres winger J.J. Peterka and Blackhawks winger Lukas Reichel were expected to anchor Germany’s entry into the upcoming World Juniors.  However, neither player was on the preliminary camp roster that their federation announced yesterday.  It’s not a matter of letting them stay in the minors a little longer before joining the team either as it was revealed that after consulting with both players, it was agreed that they will remain with their respective farm teams and not play in the tournament.  Peterka is averaging more than a point per game with AHL Rochester this season while Reichel has a dozen points in 15 contests with Rockford.  With both seemingly being on the cusp of a recall at some point, the decision has been made to not interrupt their progress even though it will make Germany’s attempt to stay in the top division that much harder.

More prospect news from around the hockey world:

  • Flames prospect Dmitri Zavgorodniy is expected to leave AHL Stockton to return home to play in the KHL for the remainder of the season, reports Championat’s Pavel Panyshev. The 21-year-old forward has been limited to just six games this season with the Heat and going overseas would give him a chance at more playing time.  He last played in the KHL with SKA St. Petersburg but his rights in that league now belong with HC Sochi after they swung a deal for his rights earlier today.
  • Kings center Quinton Byfield took part in a full practice on Friday as he continues to work his way back from a fractured ankle sustained in the preseason, relays Zach Dooley of LA Kings Insider. The 2020 second-overall pick played in six games with Los Angeles last season plus 32 in AHL Ontario where he had 20 points in 32 contests, impressive numbers for someone that was basically a double underager in that league.

Kirill Semyonov Clears Unconditional Waivers

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Dec 2: Semyonov has cleared waivers and will see his contract terminated. Yesterday, Maple Leafs’ head coach Sheldon Keefe explained that the forward expressed a desire to return to the KHL on the way back from the team’s latest road trip.

Dec 1: The Kirill Semyonov experiment in Toronto is coming to an end, as the Russian forward has been placed on unconditional waivers. Semyonov will see his contract terminated, making him a free agent that can sign with a new NHL team or return to the KHL.

Semyonov, 27, signed a one-year, entry-level contract with the Maple Leafs this season, expecting to be in the mix for the bottom-six after a long, successful career in the KHL. The undrafted forward hit a career-high of 46 points in 62 games during the 2019-20 season and won a Gagarin Cup championship in 2021. When he arrived it seemed to be going well, with a strong showing in the preseason for Toronto. Still, he ended up in the minors to start the year, where he played nine games and put up nine points.

Recently, Semyonov had been recalled to the main roster but with the addition of veteran forward Kyle Clifford, even the spare roster spot was going to be difficult to secure. Now, after being sent down yesterday in favor of Joey Anderson, Semyonov is on waivers and will leave the organization entirely.

It will be interesting to see whether he tries to catch on with another NHL team at some point, or if Semyonov’s NHL story ends after just three games. He failed to score a point in any of those and will leave the Maple Leafs still waiting for his first NHL goal. When terminated, the contract will come completely off the books for Toronto.

New Jersey Devils Sign Shakir Mukhamadullin

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It’s not exactly the $64MM deal that Jack Hughes landed yesterday, but the New Jersey Devils have signed another contract. Shakir Mukhamadullin, one of the team’s 2020 first-round picks, has inked his entry-level contract. The team has immediately loaned him back to Salavat Yulaev Ufa in the KHL, where he will finish the season.

At the time of his draft, some questioned the Devils’ decision to take Mukhamadullin so high, selected 20th overall with the team’s third first-round pick. The young defenseman had been ranked 17th among international skaters by NHL Central Scouting and was expected by some to drop to the second round. The Devils obviously saw something that other scouts didn’t, as Mukhamadullin has not only shown an interesting mix of size, skating ability, and skill, but is also carrying himself quite well in the KHL playing against professionals.

Now 19, the 6’4″ defenseman already has 100 KHL contests under his belt and took part in the World Juniors last year for Russia. He’ll likely be there again this time around, though Ufa will be sorry to lose him. Unlike some teenagers that barely see the ice in the KHL, Mukhamadullin takes a regular shift and is also on the team’s powerplay unit. That’s where all three of his goals this year have come from, already matching his total from last season.

The timing of a contract like this is curious though, as KHL players do not often sign NHL contracts mid-season. It’s good news for the Devils, who will not have to fight to get Mukhamadullin over to North America when he’s ready, but it also means that his contract can slide since they got it done before the calendar flipped to 2022. Had they waited until the spring, when his KHL season ended, Mukhamadullin could have potentially negotiated a deal that burned the first year of his ELC in 2021-22 even without playing games.

Still, it will be interesting if he does come over when the KHL season ends and if so, where he’ll be assigned. He could get a handful of games in with the AHL club, or potentially even test himself at the NHL level down the stretch. Either way, Devils fans no longer have to worry about getting Mukhamadullin into the organization.

Andrei Kuzmenko Drawing NHL Interest

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Every year there is a player or two from the KHL that piques the interest of teams in North America. They’re often undrafted talents from smaller Russian cities that may have been overlooked for years by NHL scouts. This year’s edition is Andrei Kuzmenko, who Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports is drawing “a lot of interest.”

Kuzmenko, born in Yakutsk–a city more than 3,000 miles from Moscow–and set to turn 26 in February, is in his fifth full season in the KHL and has 29 points in 26 games for SKA St. Petersburg. In all, the right-shot left-winger has 176 points in 296 KHL regular season games, but those numbers have steadily increased in recent years. While he’s still far behind the league-leading Vadim Shipachyov (another undrafted talent that was once the big name KHL free agent), those 29 points put Kuzmenko in a tie for sixth in KHL scoring.

This isn’t the first time Kuzmenko’s name has come up in relation to the NHL though, teams have been watching him for some time. Back in 2018, his North American agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey told Championat that 24 teams had expressed interest in his client. In the same interview, he spoke about the interest in Ilya Mikheyev and Artem Zub, who subsequently came over and found success. Those NHL scouts will be reminded of him often too, given he has spent time on the same line as potential 2023 first-overall pick Matvei Michkov.

Hugely skilled, there will be no shortage of hype for Kuzmenko should he decide to try his hand in North America next season. Whether he finds success is still to be determined, but there are certainly strong footsteps for him to follow. One interesting thing to consider is whether this hot start will get him onto the Russian Olympic roster, where he could potentially showcase himself against NHL talent.

Sabres’ Lawrence Pilut Signs KHL Extension

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If there was any hope of a reunion between the Buffalo Sabres and defenseman Lawrence Pilut, it just took a major hit. The 25-year-old defenseman has signed a one-year contract extension in the KHL that will keep him with Traktor Chelyabinsk through the 2022-23 season. The Sabres will lose their rights to Pilut during that season, as he turns 27 in December 2022 and will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2023.

Pilut once looked like he could be a long-term fixture on the Buffalo blue line and there were undoubtedly some that hoped he might find his way back. Pilut was an undrafted prospect out of Sweden who the Sabres scooped up in 2018 after several impressive season in the SHL. In fact, he was the SHL’s Defenseman of the Year in his final season in Sweden, leading all defenders with 38 points in 52 games – and did all of this at the age of 23. He transitioned immediately into an NHL role in 2018-19, playing in 33 NHL games versus 30 AHL games. He only recorded six points as a rookie, but notched 26 in the minors where he continued to look like a promising offense defenseman. Instead of taking a step forward in the second – and final – year of his entry-level contract, Pilut instead skated in only 13 games with the Sabres and was held scoreless.

While neither side was likely happy with Pilut’s 2019-20 campaign, the Sabres still made the RFA rearguard a qualifying offer and attempted to re-sign him (or at least keep him from an NHL competitor). Pilut opted to return to Europe rather than stay in Buffalo, inking a two-year deal with Traktor, but it did not seem like the relationship between the two sides was irreparably damaged. After Pilut enjoyed a strong debut season in the KHL last year, recording 28 points and setting a franchise record for blocked shots, it seemed the Sabres would be clamoring to bring him back.

Instead, Pilut seems to have other plans. Staying in Chelyabinsk for an extra year will take him to unrestricted free agency and he will have his pick of a new NHL home, assuming he continues to play at the same high level in Russia. A two-time AHL All-Star with high-end scoring ability and good defensive skills, who will have seasoned in arguably the second-best league in the world for a few years, Pilut will be an intriguing free agent option, especially at just 27. While there is no guarantee he ends up back in the NHL, it does seem unlikely that he winds up back in Buffalo if that is the case.

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