Season preview: Lokomotiv. Third straight Gagarin Cup in sight?

KHL.ru continues to look at the state of the League’s clubs as they prepare for the start of the new season. Lokomotiv have retained the core of their championship-winning team and have once again changed head coaches.

Last season

At the beginning of the regular season, Lokomotiv, under Bob Hartley, were, as it’s said in Russian, “spinning their wheels.” As we now know, this was down to the team and its new head coach adapting to one another. The Yaroslavl side once again finished the regular season atop the Western Conference. In the first two rounds of the playoffs, Lokomotiv dispatched Spartak and Salavat Yulaev with virtually no trouble, but in the third round they came close to seeing their bid for a second consecutive championship come to an end. Against Avangard, the Railwaymen found themselves on the brink of elimination, but turned the series around with a historic comeback in 33 seconds in Game Six, before winning in the second OT period of Game Seven. In the final, Lokomotiv faced Kazan’s Ak Bars and managed to overcome them in six extremely hard-fought games, claiming the coveted Gagarin Cup for the second consecutive year.

Recruitement

Arrivals:
Defenseman: Stepan Falkovsky (Ak Bars). Forward: Giovanni Fiore (Avangard).

Departures:
Defensemen: Martin Gernat, Alexei Kozhevnikov (Severstal, trade). Forwards: Alexander Volkov (Admiral, loan), Pavel Kraskovsky (Torpedo), Yaroslav Likhachyov (Amur, trade), Maxim Maltsev (Dinamo Minsk), Stepan Nikulin (Sibir, unconditional waivers), Richard Panik, Byron Froese.

Top signings

Giovanni Fiore

The Canadian forward of Italian descent showed himself last season to be a versatile forward who can play in the top six and contribute offensively, but can also battle along the boards or in any other area of the ice in a checking role.

Stepan Falkovsky

Last season, Falkovsky reached the Gagarin Cup Final with Ak Bars, and ultimately lost to Lokomotiv. Falkovsky is a two-way defenseman who can join the attack when needed, while his size allows him to be effective in physical battles.

Coaching

In the summer, Dmitry Kvartalnov replaced Bob Hartley as Lokomotiv’s head coach, and this will not be his first stint in Yaroslavl as he previously coached Lokomotiv from 2017 to 2019. He is one of the League’s winningest coaches, on the one hand, but on the other, he still does not have a Gagarin Cup title to his name. Last season, Kvartalnov’s Dinamo Minsk achieved the best result in the club’s KHL history, but had a disappointing playoff run. He has never coached a reigning champion before. Lokomotiv once again find themselves in much the same situation as they were a year ago.

Goalies

The tandem of Daniil Isayev and Alexei Melnichuk remains in Yaroslavl, and is one of the most reliable in the KHL. The roles of No. 1 and No. 2 are clearly defined between the two netminders, so the defending champions have no question marks in net.

Defense

The departure of Martin Gernat is a notable loss for Lokomotiv this offseason, as he handled a heavy workload both at even strength and on the power play. Yaroslavl brought in Stepan Falkovsky to bolster the blue line. The Belarusian defenseman will undoubtedly strengthen Kvartalnov’s team, but he will not be a full replacement for Gernat. Otherwise, the Yaroslavl defense remains unchanged.

Forwards

Lokomotiv’s only addition up front this offseason is Giovanni Fiore. Among the players who have left, the departures of Byron Froese and Richard Panik could be particularly noticeable. The moves of Kraskovsky, Likhachyov and Nikulin to other clubs, along with Volkov going out on loan, will open up spots for other young, talented players from the Lokomotiv system, of whom the club has plenty. Otherwise, the Yaroslavl attack remains intact: Alexander Radulov, Maxim Shalunov, Georgy Ivanov, Yegor Surin, Maxim Beryozkin, and Artur Kayumov will continue to produce.

Young players

Yaroslavl has a wealth of young talent, and Lokomotiv is among the KHL’s best clubs when it comes to giving youngsters a chance. The arrival of Dmitry Kvartalnov, who is known for his strong work with prospects, should only benefit the team in this regard. During the preseason, the coach already got a look at defensemen Ilyas Magomedsultanov and Gennady Chaly, as well as forwards Vadim Dudorov, Andrei Yelezov, Artyom Kuzin, Matvei Kotkov, Kirill Yemelyanov, and Andrei Pustovoi. All of them could get their chance during the upcoming season.

Expectations

Last offseason, Lokomotiv retained the core of their championship-winning team, brought in a new head coach and went on to win the Gagarin Cup for the second consecutive year. This offseason, the Yaroslavl side have once again retained their championship core and once again brought in a new head coach. Can the team achieve something no one has ever done before and win the trophy for a third straight year?