It was former Detroit Red Wings icon Sergei Fedorov who coached CSKA Moscow to successive KHL Gagarin Cup titles in 2021-22 and 2022-23. Since that time, the club has endured its share of struggles, going through a pair of coaching changes.
Speaking of pairs, as CSKA Moscow looks to climb back to the top of the KHL, the team will be counting on getting significant contributions from two players with ties to the Red Wings. Former Red Wings forward Daniel Sprong was signed as a free agent. Future Red Wings hopeful Dmitri Buchelnikov was acquired in a trade with Vityaz.
Early returns indicate that Buchelnikov is ready to take another step forward this season. He was good for 15 goals and 54 points last season with Vityaz.
Dimitri Buchelnikov(2nd round’22)
🚨🚨x2 Buch is cooking in preseason #LGRW pic.twitter.com/IHiIL5H4kE
— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) August 25, 2025
Through two preseason games with CSKA Moscow, he’s scored three goals. Buchelnikov netted a pair of goals on Monday as CSKA Moscow downed Moscow Dynamo 4-1.
Chosen 52nd overall by the Red Wings in the 2022 NHL entry draft, Buchelnikov is skating in preseason play on a line with Nikolai Kovalenko. The son of former NHLer Andrei Kovalenko is on loan to CSKA Moscow from the San Jose Sharks. Kovalenko split last season between San Jose and the Colorado Avalanche. He previously played in Russia for Torpedo and was coached by Wings legend Igor Larionov.
Former Red Wings Player Got Paid By CSKA Moscow
CSKA Moscow won a bidding war with Ak Bars Kazan to land the services of veteran forward Sprong.
“Sprong himself made the decision to move to CSKA,” Ak Bars Kazan GM Marat Valiullin told Russian website Sport-Express. “Our conditions were no worse.”
🛎️ Ding Dong!
Daniel Sprong is headed to the KHL, signing with CSKA Moscow.
What a strange journey it has been for the former #SeaKraken. pic.twitter.com/ZYNuOzS9ra
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) July 23, 2025
Sprong will earn 75 million rubles ($929,344 US) as a base salary with CSKA Moscow. He can earn an additional 50 million rubles ($619,562) in performance bonuses for finishing among the top three goal scorers and top three point producers in the KHL and for accumulating at least 80 points during regular-season play.
In 2023-24, his lone season in Detroit, Sprong scored 18 goals and collected 43 points in 76 games.