Red Wings Prospect Traded In KHL
Expectations were that Detroit Red Wings draftee Dmitri Buchelnikov would be on the move this summer. What wasn’t expected was that it would be a permanent switch.
There were rumors coming out of Russia that Buchelnikov was going to be sent on loan by SKA St. Petersburg to fellow KHL club Vityaz. Tuesday, Buchelnikov was in fact moving to Vityaz, but the exchange would prove to be a trade. SKA dealt Buchelnikov to Vityaz for the KHL rights to a former Red Wings player, Dmytro Timashov.
As a consequence of a trade, forward Dmitry Buchelnikov is joining Vityaz Moscow Region.
Timashov played five games for the Red Wings during the 2019-20 season, failing to collect a point. Ukrainian born, he spent last season with Ajoie HC of the Swiss League.
Red Wings Maintain NHL Rights To Buchelnikov
The Red Wings made Buchelnikov the 52nd overall selection of the 2022 NHL entry draft. He spent last season on loan from SKA to Admiral of the KHL. In 55 games Buchelnikov wound up scoring 13 goals and adding 16 assists.
While the Red Wings retain the NHL rights to Buchelnikov, 20, he did agree to terms on a two-year contract with Vityaz. That will keep him with the KHL club through the 2025-26 season.
His move to Vityaz was speculated for about a month in Russian hockey circles. However, it was assumed it would be via another loan scenario.
That SKA, one of the top clubs in the KHL, is opting to completely cut ties with Buchelnikov has to be a bit worrisome in terms of his NHL potential. If he’s not considered talented enough to play for an elite KHL squad, what are the chances that he’ll be developing into an NHL regular?
One advantage from Buchelnikov’s point of view is that Vityaz plays in the Moscow region. Admiral is located in Vladivostok, some 4,000 miles east of St. Petersburg.
“From the point of view of everyday life, Vladivostok is not exactly exotic,” Buchelnikov acknowledged in an interview with Russian website Sport-Express. “Yes, at some points it’s a little hard.”
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