Stepanek and Taimi to Slovan; Petersson to Avangard July 19-26 Transfers
Slovan has signed a one-season deal with 31-year-old goaltender Jakub Stepanek. The Czech Republic international, a World Championship gold medalist in 2010, has previously played in the KHL for Severstal, Lev Praha, and SKA. The men from Slovakia have further strengthened their rearguard with the addition of defenseman Tommi Taimi. The 26-year-old Finnish international, who played a part in Kunlun's Red Star's debut playoff series in the spring, has signed up for one season with the Bratislava club.
Belarusian defenseman Roman Graborenko, 24, who spent the 2016-17 campaign with Dinamo Minsk after seven seasons in North America (including a lone NHL appearance in 2014-15 for the New Jersey Devils), has signed up for a season with Neftekhimik.
Swedish international forward Andre Petersson, most recently of HC Sochi, has joined Avangard. The 26-year-old, who in 2011-12 made his sole NHL appearance for the Ottawa Senators, has agreed a deal which runs to the end of the 2017-18 season.
Jokerit has signed 24-year-old Danish forward Niklas Jensen on a two-year deal.
Kunlun Red Star has enticed three more North Americans to cross the Pacific. In comes 20-year-old Canadian forward Yang Hu, a.k.a. Sam Hu, who has spent the previous four seasons in the OJHL with Markham, Stouffville and Newmarket. Hu has agreed a two-year deal. He is joined by 23-year-old Canadian-American center Cody Bradley, who spent the 2016-17 campaign in the ECHL with the Norfolk Admirals and at Füchse Duisburg in the Germany3 league, after four seasons playing NCAA hockey for Colorado College. Bradley has signed a one-year contract with the Chinese club. The third new arrival, also on a one-year deal, is 24-year-old Canadian defenseman Jared Eng, who last season played for Björbo IF in Sweden's Division 2.
SKA has recruited 19-year-old ex-Dynamo Moscow forward Nikolai Chebykin on a two-year contract.
Defenseman Gleb Koryagin is returning to Dynamo Moscow after spending the 2016-17 campaign at Lada. The 22-year-old, who started his career with a season at the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies U18, has agreed a two-year contract with the Blue-and-Whites.
