Speculation: Non-Russian KHL players who could play in the NHL next season

[MBH]

Sounds good except for one thing: most of these guys would have played in the NHL already if they were good enough to play in the NHL. It does make sense for Bjorninen to try it, maybe he makes it as a 4th liner somewhere. It makes sense both for him and teams interested, next to no risk from either side.

Others are either just bad or would require a reasonably big financial commitment from the team signing them in terms of cap space and I just don't see why would NHL teams do that. Contenders can't afford it and bad teams are for the most part fine with being bad, they don't need some 30+ aged Finn to make them very slightly less bad.

Some guys never got a real shot to play in the NHL. A 5'8 center, for example, might have played grinder minutes and just been useless and never got a shot to show anything.

Problem is, why are they suddenly going to get a shot? If they did get signed, they'd still have to get off the grind line and prove it before getting sent to the AHL.

 

[Tao Jersey Jones]

These players could get AHL looks.

ALEXEI KUDASHOV: "O'DELL AND PETERSSON LEFT THE TEAM"​

What is the situation with foreigners?
- Normal situation. O'Dell and Petersson left the team, Wedin is ill. He is here with the team, but his condition is borderline.

Алексей Кудашов: «О’Делл и Петерссон покинули команду» - Хоккейный клуб «Динамо» Москва

ÐÑиÑиалÑнÑй ÑÐ°Ð¹Ñ Ñоккейного клÑба «Ðинамо» ÐоÑква

www.dynamo.ru

 

[pth2]

I can't help but think some non-playoff teams might take a flyer on a guy at a position of need, give them 15 games and see if they are worth keeping.

My Habs might well need bodies on D if they rent out Chiarot and Kulak, for example, and no prospects are ready for an extended look.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Problem is, why are they suddenly going to get a shot? If they did get signed, they'd still have to get off the grind line and prove it before getting sent to the AHL.

Well not necessarily, I see Cervenka as Manninen's closest comparable. They get signed with a clear idea of what you are going to do with them.

 

[Eye of Ra]

I would add Bjornonen and Sateri as opinions as well.

bro

they are not swedish

 

[Eye of Ra]

These players could get AHL looks.

ALEXEI KUDASHOV: "O'DELL AND PETERSSON LEFT THE TEAM"​

What is the situation with foreigners?
- Normal situation. O'Dell and Petersson left the team, Wedin is ill. He is here with the team, but his condition is borderline.

Алексей Кудашов: «О’Делл и Петерссон покинули команду» - Хоккейный клуб «Динамо» Москва

ÐÑиÑиалÑнÑй ÑÐ°Ð¹Ñ Ñоккейного клÑба «Ðинамо» ÐоÑква

www.dynamo.ru

why would petersson go to ahl? he is over 30 and already been there. he has no chance on NHL. he will go to NLA or SHL.

 

[Mestaruus]

Hannes Björninen? He's already signed and playing in Liiga. I could see him com over next season though.

It wouldn't surprise me if Hannes Björninen has out clause in that contract if he would want to go to NHL right now, but maybe he will wait and go to NHL next season instead, because as most here have said, he seems to be the most sure bet to draw most interest for NHL teams out of the non Russian KHL players. He's in a good spot now and he doesn't need to rush things. It's just my feeling that he would take it easy and go to NHL via training camp and so on. I don't see anyone sending him to AHL though, but we'll see.

 

[miscs75]

In the words of an Austrian Govenator, “I’ll be back”

 

[Mestaruus]

These players could get AHL looks.

ALEXEI KUDASHOV: "O'DELL AND PETERSSON LEFT THE TEAM"​

What is the situation with foreigners?
- Normal situation. O'Dell and Petersson left the team, Wedin is ill. He is here with the team, but his condition is borderline.

Алексей Кудашов: «О’Делл и Петерссон покинули команду» - Хоккейный клуб «Динамо» Москва

ÐÑиÑиалÑнÑй ÑÐ°Ð¹Ñ Ñоккейного клÑба «Ðинамо» ÐоÑква

www.dynamo.ru

Niko Ojamäki scored most goals in the KHL this season. Now that his contract is terminated I wonder if there would be some interest for him as well

 

[Lindberg Cheese]

Change the title.

Should say 'Non Russian KHL players who could play in the NHL next season because Russia decided to invade a country'

This

 

[Lindberg Cheese]

More interesting would be to think of the amount of Russians coming. think there would be a bunch of Russians trying to escape even to play Ahl due to sanctions and overall craziness there atm.

Who’s issuing the visas?

 

[Mestaruus]

This

Only if it wasn't too long of a title lol. There's a max amount of letters allowed for titles.

 

[Lindberg Cheese]

Only if it wasn't too long of a title lol. There's a max amount of letters allowed for titles.

That league will hopefully disappear due to lack of funds, F them

 

[HanTykje]

Linus Hultström goes from Metallurg Magnitogorsk to Linkoping.

OS-backen återvänder till SHL – här är hans val · Nobbar Djurgården

Nu är det klart. Sportbladets kan avslöja att Linköping gjort klart med en riktig klassvärvning. OS-backen Linus Hultstr

www.aftonbladet.se

​

 

[Mestaruus]

Well Harri Säteri would be off the list, but the thread was about next season. Not this season lol.

 

[Kshahdoo]

That league will hopefully disappear due to lack of funds, F them

You're going to be disappointed...

 

[Mogo]

Was Hartikainen that Finnish prospect that had an insane clapper but nothing else?

No, Hartikainen is the guy you would never know is a professional athlete

 

[SantosHalper]

No, Hartikainen is the guy you would never know is a professional athlete

View attachment 519222

Looks like an olympic gold medalist to me.

 

[Caser]

 

[egelband]

Was Hartikainen that Finnish prospect that had an insane clapper but nothing else?

Think that was Pulkkinen. No?

 

[barriers]

Hannes Björninen agreed to a 2 year deal in the SHL

SvenskaFans

Sport på SvenskaFans.com. Den naturliga samlingsplatsen för alla som är intresserade av fotboll, hockey, motor och bandy.

www.svenskafans.com

 

[Cardiac Jerks]

Who do you guys think are the kind of players in the KHL right now who could play in the NHL or NHL organizations next season? It's very possible that there won't be a single foreign (non Russian) player playing in KHL the next season because of the unstable situation in Russia now.

I'm from Finland and my expertise lies more in the Finnish players. I'm quite confident that these players would do well in the NHL right now:

-Hannes Björninen - center - team: Jokerit - 3rd or 4th line center. Face off specialist. He is a very versatile player. Fast enough skater. I'm 100% that this guy should be in the NHL.

-Sakari Manninen - center - team: UFA - small but very skilled player. He should be a second liner in the NHL and has potential to be even #1 center in some weaker teams in my opinion. Fast enough skater. Also 100% that this guy should be in the NHL.

-Teemu Hartikainen - winger - team: UFA - He has a legend status in UFA team. He would've spent the rest of his career in the KHL and his salary has been over one million in euros with low taxes in the KHL. He had no reason to leave KHL, but now there is a reason. A come back to NHL?

-Harri Säteri - goalie - team: Sibir - Very solid season in KHL and he was the starting goalie in the recent Olympics and he played great. Close to MVP of the tournament in my opinion. His short visit in NHL featured only 4 games with a 2-2 record or so. He wasn't given a proper chance.

-Juho (Jussi) Olkinuora - goalie - team: Magnitogorsk - He would've been the starting goalie for Finland in the Olympics without the Covid problems. He also was the starting goalie for Finland in the previous WHC tournament where Finland lost to Canada in the final. He's been great in KHL season after season.

-Mikko Lehtonen - Defender - team: SKA St. Petersburg - He played some games for Columbus when season started and surprisingly he left in the middle of the season to play in KHL. Will he go back to NHL? Many say that he has been the best defender in Europe & KHL for some years.

There are more Finnish KHL players who have some potential for NHL or who could still play in there such as Leo Komarov, Miro Aaltonen, Oliwer Kaski to mention a few. I didn't mention players from other leagues. This list has more Finnish players in the KHL this season:
Suomalaiset KHL-pelaajat kauden 2021-2022 runkosarjassa

What about players from other nations than Finland?

Pretty sure Carolina still hold Kaski’s rights.

 

[Nowotny]

If they will be even allowed to play in the NHL next season. Some sports just straight out banned Russian athletes. I didn't notice this happening in North-America yet (UFC, NHL), but that might be coming.

I don't think NHL would not allow Russian players to play (many of them probably have green card already). But KHL(and professional sport in general) is a big part of propaganda in Russia and Putler may decide to "keep them" in Russia

 

[Mestaruus]

I don't think NHL would not allow Russian players to play (many of them probably have green card already). But KHL(and professional sport in general) is a big part of propaganda in Russia and Putler may decide to "keep them" in Russia

That part was written 2 months ago closer to the invasion date of Feb 24th and at that point all sports were banning everything which had something to do with Russians. Now it seems like Russian players playing in the NHL along with Russian UFC fighters will get to continue normally. In my opinion it's the wrong decision, but it is what it is.

Banning the Russian players would've had some big consequences regarding some NHL teams. As an example Tampa Bay's Stanley Cup streak would've ended with Kucherov, Vasilevskiy and Sergachev being gone. I think it would've been the correct decision to ban those players though. This is bigger than sports. No one should say not to mix sports & politics when Putin himself does that all the time.

 

[57special]

I wonder if the KHL teams will be suffering financially if the sanctions continue(which is highly likely), and will no longer be able to pay players at the same rate that they are now?

Post automatically merged: May 2, 2022

I wonder if the KHL teams will be suffering financially if the sanctions continue(which is highly likely), and will no longer be able to pay players at the same rate that they are now?