Pure goal scorer leaves his NHL team to go play in Russia
After seven years and nearly 300 games in the NHL, 20-goal scorer Denis Gurianov is leaving the Philadelphia Flyers to sign a multi-year contract in the KHL.
Gurianov's NHL career has been somewhat volatile. Despite his height and shooting ability, he was expected to fall into the second round of the 2015 NHL Draft. However, the Dallas Stars saw great potential in the Russian forward and selected him 12th overall.
Gurianov had chances to showcase his skills in the AHL and during the Dallas Stars' road to the Stanley Cup. In 2020, he scored 20 goals in the regular season and made the critical shot that sent the Stars to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 2000.
However, since then, Gurianov's performance has declined, producing fewer than 20 points since the 2022-23 season. This led to him being traded to Montreal, Nashville, and Philadelphia, playing only 41 games across these teams. Dissatisfied with his ice time, Gurianov left the Flyers and the Milwaukee Admirals to sign a two-year deal with CSKA Moscow in the KHL.
Gurianov will not be the only former NHL player joining CSKA Moscow. Egor Afanasyev, Dmitry Samorukov, Ruslan Iskhakov, and Nikita Okhotyuk are also joining the team.
Although Gurianov likely envisioned a different career trajectory at this age, he will undoubtedly get more ice time in Russia. With his NHL colleagues joining him, CSKA Moscow is expected to be a formidable team.
Source: The Hockey NewsDenis Gurianov Departs Flyers For KHL
| POLL | ||
2 AOUT | 41 ANSWERS Pure goal scorer leaves his NHL team to go play in Russia Will Denis Gurianov return to the NHL after the end of his contract with CSKA Moskva? | ||
| Yes | 5 | 12.2 % |
| No | 36 | 87.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
