A notable group of NHL players is heading to the KHL for 2026-27, and the list includes a former first-round pick who once stood out as a familiar face to Montreal Canadiens fans during the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
In all, 10 players under NHL contracts in 2025-26 have signed on for the KHL next season, with five of them forwards. The departures include Ivan Fedotov and Alexander Alexeyev, along with several other names spread across multiple NHL organizations.
Fedotov and Yegor Zamula are both leaving the Columbus Blue Jackets, with Fedotov set to join Spartak Moscow and Zamula heading to CSKA Moscow. The Colorado Avalanche are also losing two players, as Zakhar Bardakov and Danil Gushchin have both chosen the KHL route.
Elsewhere, Nick Cicek and Givani Smith are moving on from the Calgary Flames and Carolina Hurricanes, respectively, and will be heading to Shanghai. The rest of the group includes Dmitri Kuzmin, Garrett Pilon, Alexander Alexeyev, and Yegor Afanasyev, all of whom have opted to continue their careers overseas.
Alexeyev is the most eye-catching name in the bunch. The 26-year-old is a 6-foot-4, 213-pound left-shot defenseman who was selected by the Washington Capitals in the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft.
The Canadiens also have their own prospects in the mix over there, including Bogdan Konyushkov, who was loaned to Torpedo this season, as well as young forwards Alexander Zharovsky and Gleb Pugachyov. Those games will be worth keeping an eye on.
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For the Canadiens, the situation is about more than just one contract number. Dach filed after receiving a qualifying offer from Montreal, and the final figure could shape both his role on the roster and the teams flexibility if general manager Kent Hughes decides to explore trade options later on. For now, the clock is ticking, and Montreal still has time to work out an agreement before the hearing becomes unavoidable. [Read more 🡒]