Six players decide to leave the NHL, including two familiar names
We have just learned that six players are leaving the NHL, including a former Montreal Canadiens player.
As reported by Marco Normandin, we have indeed seen a rare wave of departures to the KHL.
Additionally, forward Alexander Barabanov of the San Jose Sharks has signed a 2-year contract with Ak Bars Kazan in the KHL."
They are all leaving North America and returning home, which removes a few notable names from the free-agent market.
Six Players, Including Denis Gurianov and Alexander Barabanov, Leave for the KHL
As for the former Montreal Canadiens player Denis Gurianov, he has signed a two-year deal with SKA, joining Ivan Demidov and Evgeny Kuznetsov.
The 27-year-old forward, who had 8 points in 23 games with the Canadiens, recorded 30 points in 27 games in the American Hockey League in 2023-24.
There is another name familiar to fans on this list.
In addition to Gurianov, Alexander Barabanov's name also draws attention.
We're talking about a forward who had a very solid 47 points in 68 games with the San Jose Sharks during the 2022-23 season (a pace of nearly 60 points per 82 games).
In total, Barabanov, who is also a former Toronto Maple Leafs player, has amassed 107 points in 206 games in the National Hockey League.
His NHL career was going well, as he could establish himself as a 50-60 point-per-season forward, but he preferred to return home.
Details will follow.
We wish them the best of luck in the future.
Credit: HABSolumentFanSix joueurs de la LNH quittent et signent un contrat en KHL
| POLL | ||
2 AOUT | 458 ANSWERS Six players decide to leave the NHL, including two familiar names Where do you see Mattias Norlinder in a year? | ||
| Montreal | 35 | 7.6 % |
| Laval | 94 | 20.5 % |
| Europe | 261 | 57 % |
| Elsewhere in the NHL | 68 | 14.8 % |
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