Veterans at the helm. Spartak season preview
Last year, Spartak improved in the regular season, but it was another first-round exit for the Red-and-Whites. To improve the results, Spartak gave Oleg Znarok a team with plenty of veterans and solid names as foreigners. Will the team be able to finally have a deep playoff run?
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Last season
After hiring Oleg Znarok it was expectable for Spartak to have a jump ahead in the standings. And it was precisely what happened. Spartak’s wins count jumped from 21 to 34, and the team scored more goals and allowed fewer. Several players had a breakout season, including Artyom Fyodorov — who led the team with 41 (18+23) points — Kaspars Daugavins, Ilya Zubov, and Yakov Rylov.
However, Dynamo Moscow was too much to handle in the playoffs. The hard-fought series lasted six games, with the decisive clash being played in front of an empty CSKA Arena with an OT goal by Dmitrij Jaskin.
Head coach
Oleg Znarok doesn’t need any long introduction. Spartak’s bench boss knows the league inside and out, and it’s enough to have him at the helm to turn any team into a potential contender.
The coach will try and seek his fourth Gagarin Cup coaching the Red-and-Whites, and the team amassed a solid roster for the 2020-2021 season.
Key departures
The Red-and-Whites had a busy offseason with plenty of players leaving the team. The team decided to change most of its foreign legion. As a result, Tobias Viklund, Patrik Hersley, Martins Karsums, and Kaspars Daugavins left Spartak. Alexander Khokhlachyov also changed his team and will line up for Avangard next year.
Key arrivals
However, if many players moved on with other teams, Spartak signed new ones with all the tools to replace the old ones without regrets. On defense, Andrei Zubarev and Emil Djuse joined the Red-and-Whites to strengthen its defensive corps. Zubarev is well known for his rich experience with SKA, while Djuse was excellent last year in the AHL with the Texas Stars and the Springfield Thunderbirds.
Regarding the offense, Spartak fans will welcome the return of Lukas Radil. The Czech forward is back to Moscow after a two-year stint with the San Jose Sharks. Another exciting signing for Spartak is Jori Lehtera. The Finnish veteran had a decent season with SKA last year, and it will be exciting to see whether Lehtera will help Spartak in making another stride forward.
To acquire Alex Khokhlachyov, Avangard moved veteran Sergei Shirokov to Spartak. A man of Znarok, Shirokov, will add experience to the lineup and is expected to rebound after a reasonably disappointing 2019-2020 season. After Admiral announced to have stopped its operations for the 2020-2021 season, Spartak signed three players off the former Far East franchise, including Martin Bakos, who lighted the lamp 19 times last year.
Star player
Spartak and Znarok can count on an All-Star goalie in Julius Hudacek. Famous not only for his excellent goalkeeping abilities but also as a fantastic entertainer, the Slovak goalie will be called to another superb season, trying to pass the 20-win mark for the third time in his KHL career.
One of the top goalies in the league, Hudacek will have to face a new menace next year. His brother Libor, 29, in the offseason, signed with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk.
Expectations
With such a roster, Spartak can’t be content with a first-round exit. Hiring Oleg Znarok and filling the roster mostly with proven veterans means that the team’s focus is on “here and now.” The Red-and-Whites want a deep playoff run for the 2020-2021 campaign.
