Admiral completes its import set. Top transfers
Brendan Leipsic inks with SKA, Graovac and Fiore move to Vladivostok, and Lada signs top Russian veterans. KHL.ru presents the top transfers within the most recent market movements.
Brendan Leipsic
From Metallurg to SKA
SKA keeps on strengthening its lineup with the signing of Leipsic, who spent his last two seasons in Magnitogorsk. After inking Arseny Gritsyuk and Sergei Tolchinsky, SKA had another splash in the free agent market with the Canadian forward, who will be entering his fourth season in the League following campaigns with Metallurg and CSKA. Last year, Leipsic had a career-high 42 assists, and his acquisition is set to improve SKA’s quality in the offensive zone, which last year was probably lacking some talent as the St. Petersburg franchise tried to defeat their Moscow rivals playing their same game. However, this year’s lineup will be more technique-sound for SKA, and the rivalry will be even more interesting.
Tyler Graovac
From Vityaz to Admiral
In part, Admiral decided to sign a familiar face to strengthen its lineup, signing the large-framed Canadian forward, who will be entering his third season in the KHL after stints with Vityaz and Dinamo Minsk. A native of Brampton, Ontario, Graovac has 47 (20+27) points in two years in the league, but is also known to be more than just the points he scores. First with Dinamo Minsk, then with Vityaz, Graovac showed that he can eat up minutes and play in any situation, other than be a competent center at both ends of the ice – he’s a solid and reliable option for Admiral as the team will try to equal last year’s success.
Giovanni Fiore
From Eisbaren Berlin (DEL) to Admiral
To complete its import players’ contingent, following Graovac and returnee Colby Williams, the Far East franchise opted for Giovanni Fiore. The native of Laval, Quebec, has spent his latest three seasons with the Eisbaren Berlin of the German DEL, emerging in the last season as the team’s top goalscorer with 21 tallies, one more than former Dinamo Riga Kevin Clark. In his first two seasons in Berlin, Fiore led the White Bears to back-to-back DEL titles, but last term – his most productive campaign – the reigning champion sensationally failed to qualify for the elimination stage. Now Fiore will try to bring his scoring touch and all-around ability to Vladivostok, and Admiral will need all his goalscoring ability to repeat 2022-2023 results.
Sergei Shumakov and Dmitry Kugryshev
Signed by Lada Togliatti
The KHL newcomer is trying to assemble a good roster signing players of different profile, but so far, its top players will be Sergei Shumakov and Dmitry Kugryshev. The two Russian forwards had important seasons in the past, with Shumakov going over 40 points twice and Kugryshev being featured in the KHL All-Star Game in 2014-2015. However, both players didn’t have their best seasons recently, playing in Minsk and Vityaz respectively, and they will be eager to return to their previous level enjoying a high place in Lada’s depth chart as the season starts in September. Lada also signed KHL veterans in Maxim Berezin on the blueline and Mikhail Fisenko among forwards. The Togliatti side has also renewed its deal with hometown hero Evgeny Bodrov, who will enter his eighth season with Lada and has won the Gagarin Cup in 2010 with Ak Bars.
