CSKA lands NHL veteran, Avangard revamps blue line, Blacker returns to Avtomobilist. Top transfers
Daniel Sprong signs with CSKA, Poturalski and Lajoie join Avangard, and Blacker returns to Avtomobilist. KHL.ru presents the best moves on the international market for the last week.
Jesse Blacker
From Avangard to Avtomobilist
One of the most unique stories of this offseason—the veteran defenseman moved from Yekaterinburg to Omsk this offseason, only to return to his old club one month later, signing a two-year contract with the Motormen. Avangard’s behavior was strange this offseason, but we will return to Omsk seeing other players. The veteran blueliner will enter his fourth season with Avtomobilist, and is ninth season overall in the league.
Maxime Lajoie
From Coachella Valley Firebirds to Avangard
One of Blacker’s replacement pieces in Omsk will be the Quebec native blueliner, who won the AHL Calder Cup with the Chicago Wolves back in 2022. Lajoie, 27, spent the whole 2024-2025 season with the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the AHL, scoring 38 (4+34) points in 70 regular season games, adding a goal in six postseason appearances. On top of that, he also has 77 NHL games under his belt with the Ottawa Senators, Carolina Hurricanes, and Toronto Maple Leafs. Lajoie will be at his debut overseas, as he lined up in his career exclusively in North America. Moreover, other than parting ways with Blacker, Avangard has also released Alex Grant.
Joseph Cecconi
From Ontario Reign to Avangard
The American d-man is the second acquisition by the Hawks on the blue line after Lajoie. Now, Cecconi and Lajoie are supposed to form the first defensive pair for Avangard in the upcoming season. More of a defensive blueliner, Cecconi spent the 2024-25 campaign with the Iowa Wild and the Ontario Reign of the AHL, totaling 17 points in 74 regular season games. Earlier in his career, Cecconi helped Team USA win its fourth WJC title at the 2017 WJC in Canada. Despite his success in the juniors, the blueliner never made it to the NHL, lining up for more than 350 games in the American Hockey League. It will be his first experience overseas, once again just like Lajoie.
Daniel Sprong
From New Jersey Devils to CSKA
Signing Daniel Sprong may be one of the top signings of this offseason—if not the best. The first Dutch-born player to sign in the KHL, Sprong brings with himself 374 NHL games under his belt with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Anaheim Ducks, Washington Capitals, Seattle Kraken, Detroit Red Wings, Vancouver Canucks, and New Jersey Devils. Sprong, 28, had two really good seasons in 2022-23 and 2023-24, with the Kraken and the Red Wings. He scored more than 40 points both times, with 46 and 43 points, respectively. Now, he’ll bring his skills and experience to CSKA, who will be aiming high after hiring Igor Nikitin following his championship stint between Lokomotiv’s bench and making a couple of big statements in the domestic market signing Dmitry Buchelnikov and Nikolai Kovalenko.
Andrew Poturalski
From San Jose Barracuda to Avangard
The Omsk franchise made another big signing with Andrew Poturalski, one of the top players in the AHL in the last few seasons. Poturalski, 31, is a perennial AHL All-Star and top scorer, and won the Calder Cup in 2022 with the Chicago Wolves and Maxim Lajoie. He has near a point a game in the AHL across 527 regular season games and 81 postseason appearances, winning the JB Sollenger Trophy three times as the league’s top scorer. Before that, he had a successful collegiate stint with the University of New Hampshire. Poturalski is now expected to be Avangard’s first option in the middle and a potential leader of the team.
