Lessio joins Gillies in Riga – June 16-23 transfer highlights

Dinamo Riga has signed Canadian forward Lucas Lessio, 24, who played in the NHL for the Coyotes and Canadiens (totals: 41 games, 7 (3+4) points) and spent the 2016-17 season at Medvescak (40 games, 12 goals, 10 assists).

The Latvian club has extended the contract of Lessio’s compatriot and fellow forward, Colton Gillies, 28, once of Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets (total NHL stats: 154 games, 6 goals, 12 assists) but who spent the 2016-17 season at Dinamo, recording 14 (8+6) points in 43 games. Both the North Americans have signed on for one season. 

Earlier in the week another Dinamo Riga pair, defenseman Guntis Galvins and forward Gints Meija, agreed to stay on in the Latvian capital for another year.

Neftekhimik has recruited forward Alexander Avtsin, formerly of Severstal, Dynamo Moscow, Admiral, Lokomotiv, and from 2010-2013, the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL. The 26-year-old’s deal runs until the end of the 2017-18 season.

The Nizhnekamsk club has also agreed a one-year deal with 23-year-old forward Ilya Arkalov, who spent the past two seasons at Medvescak after spells with Avtomobilist and Metallurg Novokuznetsk.

Severstal has paid financial compensation to CSKA for the rights to 23-year-old Czech forward MatejStransky, who spent the past four seasons playing for the Texas Stars in the AHL (2016-17 stats: 76 games, 27 goals, 20 assists, 47 points)

Joining Stransky in Cherepovets is defenseman Stanislav Kalashnikov, returning to the club he left during the 2014-15 season. In the three years since, the 25-year-old has worn the colors of Neftekhimik, Ugra, Torpedo and Metallurg Novokuznetsk.

Kazakh forward Nikita Ivanov has joined Sibir, one day after the 28-year-old’s contract with Barys expired.

Dinamo Minsk has enlisted 31-year-old goaltender Stepan Goryachevskikh, whose last spell in the KHL was with Severstal in the 2015-16 season, for one year.

Lada has given a tryout contract to 28-year-old defenseman Ilya Davydov, whose resume includes KHL duty at Automobilist, Torpedo, Admiral, Traktor, Vityaz and Metallurg Novokuznetsk.