If Romanov isn't allowed to play. The only thing I don't want is for him to return to CSKA in the KHL. Because there is no player transfer agreement between the NHL and the KHL, I fear that if he does sign there, he'd have to stay for the entire season and can only join Montreal after the KHL year is done. I doubt they'd allow a stipulation in the contract that would allow him to leave as soon as the next NHL season begins.
Other possibilities:
- AHL: right now, the AHL has plans in place should their season start in October, November or December. Romanov has said he is very open to the idea of playing in Laval if he needs to. And if they start before the NHL, then that is the most likely scenario.
- The Habs can loan him to another European league. Aside from the KHL, they have player transfer agreements with the other European leagues. So maybe the Habs can make a deal with a team in one of those leagues to have Romanov play there until the NHL season returns.
- I don't know how it would work, but maybe they can also loan him to a Major Junior team in the CHL. I don't know if Romanov's ever been drafted in the CHL Import Draft. If he has, I don't know what team. And if he's not, I don't know if and how it could work to send him there.
I really dont think he's even thinking about anything else but the NHL right now, the ELC is signed, So the habs dont want him in Europe either anymore.
All other hockey leagues are cancelled for the season. So at worst he cant play hockey until those leagues and the NHL start up again, but again his focus is the NHL.
I do understand you're talking about the window where the NHL ends "this" particular season and when it begins its new one, and the rumors are next December for now, but there is *zero* guarantee that the KHL and SHL and all these other leagues start *their* seasons on their usual start times as well.
Odds are, its doubtful they do. So we're now really just talking about a very small maybe just a month or two period or even less of "waiting time" or.. effing off and playing in europe for a couple months? and as you said it would be for the entire euro-length season? no way, The habs dont want that, and im pretty sure he doesnt want that either.
He's going to practice with the team most likely for "remainder" of this season. and odds are he will play in the AHL if it starts earlier than the NHL does, if the gods allow, this coming october even.
