Gusev Headed To St. Roch By Saturday?
Mar 4, 2019 15:48:32 GMT -5
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Post by Asbjørn Nygård on Mar 4, 2019 15:48:32 GMT -5
GUSEV HEADED TO ST. ROCH BY SATURDAY?
by Asbjørn Nygård
The St. Roch Hawks are just beginning a meaningless contest against the Simi Valley Kings but even thought their season will come to an end on Sunday with the end of the Dynasty Hockey League regular season that doesn't mean there's nothing for fans to look for this week.
Back on February 18th Hawks General Manager Doug Stolhand wisely used his abundant cap space to swoop in and pluck left winger Nikita Gusev from the nest of the Moscow Red Army. By outbidding a then cash-strapped Red Army GM Adam Luker the Hawks procured one of the most intriguing free agents in the DHL. The price of $24 over three years (aav of $8) seemed risky considering the first year would be lost without having Gusev on the team but that could be changing.
Reports out of, ironically enough, Moscow say that Gusev could be heading to the DHL by the end of the week and could potentially play in the Hawks final matchup of the season against the Kings. Gusev is currently playing for SKA St. Petersburg (and yes, the 'SKA' is a reference to the popular music fad of the 1990s) but they are losing their first round playoff series. If their season ends this week he will immediately become eligible to play in the DHL and since the Hawks signed him and own his rights through the 2020-2021 season he'd potentially report to the Hawks to play in their finale against the Kings.
Hawks head coach Doug Weight was asked about this potential following Monday's morning skate: "I am not going to get into hypothetical situations. I coach the players that are here and focus on getting them ready to play the Kings. If he shows up later this week I'll address it then."
Hawks Assistant GM Doug MacLean was asked about the potential to sign Gusev this season and discussed it during a conference call on Monday: "We are talking with his agent and trying to figure out the best time to sign him and bring him over to the Hawks. We'd like to get him on the team this season if possible so that he can get a feel for play in the DHL and know what he needs to work on during the offseason. Whether it's this season or next season we expect him to be an impact player for the Hawks."
Gusev is 26-years old and he lead the KHL in scoring this season. In what is expected to be a top heavy class of left wing free agents Gusev would have surely commanded more than $8 per year on the open market but Stolhand was astutely able to take advantage of the limited market for him during the season and secure his rights for years to come.
-30-
by Asbjørn Nygård
The St. Roch Hawks are just beginning a meaningless contest against the Simi Valley Kings but even thought their season will come to an end on Sunday with the end of the Dynasty Hockey League regular season that doesn't mean there's nothing for fans to look for this week.
Back on February 18th Hawks General Manager Doug Stolhand wisely used his abundant cap space to swoop in and pluck left winger Nikita Gusev from the nest of the Moscow Red Army. By outbidding a then cash-strapped Red Army GM Adam Luker the Hawks procured one of the most intriguing free agents in the DHL. The price of $24 over three years (aav of $8) seemed risky considering the first year would be lost without having Gusev on the team but that could be changing.
Reports out of, ironically enough, Moscow say that Gusev could be heading to the DHL by the end of the week and could potentially play in the Hawks final matchup of the season against the Kings. Gusev is currently playing for SKA St. Petersburg (and yes, the 'SKA' is a reference to the popular music fad of the 1990s) but they are losing their first round playoff series. If their season ends this week he will immediately become eligible to play in the DHL and since the Hawks signed him and own his rights through the 2020-2021 season he'd potentially report to the Hawks to play in their finale against the Kings.
Hawks head coach Doug Weight was asked about this potential following Monday's morning skate: "I am not going to get into hypothetical situations. I coach the players that are here and focus on getting them ready to play the Kings. If he shows up later this week I'll address it then."
Hawks Assistant GM Doug MacLean was asked about the potential to sign Gusev this season and discussed it during a conference call on Monday: "We are talking with his agent and trying to figure out the best time to sign him and bring him over to the Hawks. We'd like to get him on the team this season if possible so that he can get a feel for play in the DHL and know what he needs to work on during the offseason. Whether it's this season or next season we expect him to be an impact player for the Hawks."
Gusev is 26-years old and he lead the KHL in scoring this season. In what is expected to be a top heavy class of left wing free agents Gusev would have surely commanded more than $8 per year on the open market but Stolhand was astutely able to take advantage of the limited market for him during the season and secure his rights for years to come.
-30-