Dragons’ double swoop, Barys gets busy

Another lively week of trading saw Barys rebuild its D-core, while the KHL gets its first ever Turkish (youth) international as Shanghai Dragons add two new imports.

Dragons get their Frk on

While Dmitrij Jaskin considers his future, Martin Frk’s move to Shanghai Dragons makes him the only Czech forward slated to play KHL next season. The 32-year-old has played just one previous season in Europe, having headed across the Atlantic as a junior. He peaked with the Red Wings in 2017/2018, compiling 25 (11+14) points in 68 NHL games, and also played for Carolina and LA in the big league. But he saw more action in the AHL, where he set a record for the hardest shot in the All-Star Game and routinely notched 25+ goals a season.

Turkish recruit for Shanghai

Frk arrives from Calgary Wranglers, and he’s accompanied by Nick Cicek. This Manitoba-born defenseman has Turkish roots – adding to the KHL’s history of diversity – and even played a couple of games for Turkey’s U17s back in 2016/2017. At a European Youth Olympic tournament he came up against a Russian team featuring Daniil Gutik and Yaroslav Likhachyov – and suffered a 42-0 loss. Now 26, Cicek has played 16 times in the NHL for San Jose and also had a year in Germany with Adler Mannheim.

Homecoming for Gushchin

Danil Gushchin grew up in Yekaterinburg, but never played for Avtomobilist. Indeed, the hard-working 24-year-old winger never played in the KHL at all, crossing the Atlantic as a youngster and eventually making his way to the NHL with San Jose. He managed 18 games and two goals for the Sharks, but a reputation as a solid back checker wasn’t enough to secure a regular spot in the show. At AHL level he was more productive – 182 points in 231 games – and did enough to suggest he could be a significant addition to Avtomobilist’s offense after agreeing a return to his hometown. With Brooks Macek leaving, Gushchin could be a key figure on the power play for the Motormen this term.

Busy week for Barys

The situation in Astana is becoming clearer as Barys extended two contracts and replaced one defenseman with another. The departure of Reilly Walsh – heading to Montreal on a two-way deal – is a blow for the Kazakhs after the defenseman contributed 46 points last season. But the club moved to bring in American blue-liner Chase Priskie, who played his debut season in the KHL with Sibir. He’ll reunite with former Hershey Bears colleagues Jake Massie and Logan Day, while another ex-Bear Mason Morelli agreed a return for a second season. Defenseman Ian McCoshen also agreed a new deal with Barys ahead of the coming campaign.

Gardner to Minsk, Sawchuk stays at Lada

Center Rhett Gardner was a regular for CSKA last season, even though the 30-year-old managed just one goal and 10 assists in 74 appearances. His strengths lie elsewhere – winning 56.3% of his face-offs, and regularly contributing hits and blocked shots. That was enough to persuade Dinamo Minsk to sign him from the Muscovites. Riley Sawchuk was a key player for Lada last term, contributing 45 (23+22) points in 66 games. The 27-year-old agreed a new one-year contract and will again lead the offense in Togliatti.

Neftekhimik adds Lovell

American defenseman Tim Lovell is the latest new import to join Neftekhimik. The 24-year-old has some European experience after a brief spell in Finland with Jukurit yielded six appearances. However, most of his play came in the NCAA. Last season he was back in the USA, playing for Greenville Swamp Rabbits in the ECHL, where his 72 games brought 32 (6+26) points. Lovell may not be the highest-profile import in the league, but the Wolves will be hoping he emerges as a handy below-the-radar acquisition.

In from the start

The KHL’s 19th season starts in September and – at this moment – only two players have confirmed contracts that would see them continue an unbroken run of 19 consecutive seasons in the league. Oddly enough, both will play for Salavat Yulaev. Defenseman Grigory Panin is a long-serving Ufa, while record-breaking forward Vadim Shipachyov joins from Dinamo Minsk. Will they be joined by more players to feature in every campaign in league history? Perhaps. Five more men have been part of all 18 completed seasons to date, but are currently out of contract: defenseman Dmitry Vishnevsky (most recently of Spartak) and forwards Roman Starchenko (Barys), Andrei Stas (Dinamo Minsk), Ilya Kablukov (Shanghai Dragons) and Pyotr Khokhryakov (Salavat Yulaev).