McMillan to Riga; Nestrasil to Neftekhimik. August 1-4 transfer highlights
Torpedo has paid financial compensation to Ak Bars in exchange for 20-year-old defenseman Timur Fatkullin. The Nizhny Novgorod club also enlisted 26-year-old ex-Dynamo Moscow forward Yegor Dugin on a one-year deal, and has given a tryout contract to 22-year-old defenseman Viktor Baldayev, formerly of Spartak and Atlant,
One of Torpedo's leaders in the 2016-17 season, Canadian forward Brandon McMillan, 27, has joined Dinamo Riga. The former Ducks, Coyotes and Canucks forward (NHL totals: 179 games, 24 goals, 37 assists) has agreed a one-year contract. The Latvians have also given a tryout contract to 26-year-old Lithuanian international defenseman Nerijus Alisauskas.
Former Carolina Hurricanes and Detroit Red Wings forward Andrej Nestrasil has signed for Neftekhimik. The 26-year-old Czech (NHL totals:128 games, 17 goals, 31 assists) is joined in Nizhnekamsk by three other new arrivals: two defensemen - Alexei Volgin, 27, formerly of Lada, and his fellow 27-year-old, Mikhail Churlyayev, who has played for Lada, Automobilist and Metallurg Magnitogorsk – plus another forward - 27-year-old Alexander Toryanik, once of Donbas Donetsk. All four have signed a one-year deal.
Ugra has enlisted 28-year-old ex-Spartak forward Alexander Vasilyev, 28, for two seasons, and 33-year-old defenseman Sergei Peretyagin, lately of .Kunlun Red Star, on a one-year contract.
Kunlun Red Star welcomed another batch of new players: The Chinese club has offered one-year contracts to a goaltender: 20-year-old Finn Arttu Kulmala, who spent last season with the Aberdeen Wings of the NAHL; three defensemen: 20-year-old Jesse Ahonen and 26-year-old Joonas Hurri, both Finns, plus Russian Vladislav Tsurikov, 19, and two 20-year-old Russian forwards, Vladimir Zababurin and Pavel Kruty. The club has also agreed two-year deals with two Canadians: 23-year-old goaltender Derek Dun and and 24-year-old forward Luke Lockhart, both of whom spent last season playing for the University of British Columbia,
Spartak has taken on ex-Dynamo Moscow and Admiral forward Alexander Kuznetsov, 25, on a tryout contract.
Slovan has signed Finnish international center Teemu Ramstedt, formerly of SKA and Amur, and also recruited 23-year-old USA defenseman Nick Ebert, who spent last season in the AHL with the Texas Stars. Both players have signed a one-year deal with the Slovak club. The Bratislava Boys also recruited Czech Republic international defenseman Tomas Voracek on a tryout deal.
Amur has agreed a two-year deal with 19-year-old goaltender Evgeny Kiselyov, who spent the 2016-17 season in the QMJHL with the Quebec Ramparts. The Far East club also paid a transfer fee to Lokomotiv Yaroslavl to bring 20-year-old defenseman Nikolai Averin to Khabarovsk.
Ak Bars has agreed a two-year deal with 20-year-old defenseman Timur Fatkullin, who spent the past two seasons at Metallurg Novokuznetsk.
Ak Bars also posted one the week's most significant non-transfer stories, having persuaded Russian international center Vladimir Tkachyov to sign an improved two-year deal. Other high-profile non-movers were Dinamo Minsk forward Charles Linglet, Traktor forward Artyom Penkovsky, and Dynamo Moscow defenseman Juuso Hietanen, all three of whom are staying on for two more years.
