Already receiving interest from Traktor Chelyabinsk and Shanghai in the KHL, it appears veteran winger Evgenii Dadonov has another suitor. Sport-Express’ Artur Khairullin reports that Ak Bars Kazan is also showing interest in the 37-year-old. Dadonov is coming off a rough season with New Jersey that saw him record just one point in 24 games which is undoubtedly hindering his market as he looks for a deal. Khairullin suggests that while Kazan is believed to be nearing a contract with a forward, it might not ultimately be with Dadonov who is still looking to remain in North America.
Other international news and notes:
The KHL announced today that the rights to goaltender Daniil Tarasov have been traded to SKA St. Petersburg. The 27-year-old signed a one-year deal with the Red Wings this summer to become John Gibson’s new backup so this rights swap won’t affect anything in the short term. However, if Tarasov wants to return to the league he last played in during the 2020-21 campaign, he would now have to sign with St. Petersburg. The rights swap paved the way for former NHLer Joseph Blandisi to join Salavat Yulaev.
Canadiens prospect Vinzenz Rohrer is expected to sign with EV Zug in Switzerland, relays Nicola Berger of the Neue Zurcher Zeitung. The belief is that the deal will make him one of the top-paid players in the league despite the fact the forward is coming off a year where he managed just four goals and eight assists in 41 games with Zurich. Rohrer finished last season with AHL Laval, picking up two points in his debut at that level while playing in all five playoff contests. He has two seasons left on his entry-level contract so it appears that if this new deal is finalized, he’ll be in a situation where he either makes Montreal’s roster or is assigned overseas.
Still with the Canadiens, prospect winger Alexander Gordin is on the move. The VHL announced that the 25-year-old has been dealt to Izhstal Izhevsk. Gordin was a sixth-round pick by Montreal back in 2020 after a promising showing in Russia’s junior level but the production hasn’t followed him to the pros. He had 17 goals and 16 assists in 57 games and hasn’t seen KHL action since the 2021-22 campaign. With no transfer agreement between the NHL and Russia, the Canadiens will hold his rights indefinitely.