European free agents providing value for NHL clubs
Drafting and developing is king in the NHL, but European free agents provide value for savvy NHL teams. Teams are always investing in the draft, tearing down their teams to rebuild and acquire numerous picks, but that takes time. The overseas free agent market can supply NHL-ready talent and the cost is only the contract itself.
Artemi Panarin and Alex Radulov were two Russian wingers scoring well in Kontinental Hockey League, and carried that success over to the NHL. Panarin had two 70-point campaigns for Chicago before being traded to Columbus. Radulov scored 50 points for Montreal before his five-year contract with Dallas. He’s on pace for 27 goals and 66 points. Evgeny Dadonov followed Panarin and Radulov to the NHL. He has 19 points in 25 games with Florida.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been heavily scouting European leagues for capable players in recent years. They’ve signed Nikita Soshnikov, Miro Aaltonen, Nikita Zaitsev, Calle, Rosén, and Andreas Borgman in the past few years. Zaitsev and Borgman make up two of Toronto’s six defence this season. The Leafs are reportedly dipping into the free agent pool again, as they will be signing defenceman Igor Ozhiganov for next season.
Chicago’s signed Panarin and Jan Rutta in the last few years. Rutta ranks third in ice time among Blackhawks defenceman, while Panarin provided scoring before he was traded for Brandon Saad.
Tim Heed is playing regularly for San Jose. He’s on their power play and is scoring at a 32-point pace. This comes after a successful season in the American Hockey League last year.
Tomas Hyka was recently recalled by the Vegas Golden Knights. He played three seasons in the Czech league with Mlada Boleslav BK. David Rittich played a season and a few games for Calgary’s AHL team in Stockton before taking the backup position from Eddie Läck.
Of course, these signings don’t always work out. Vadim Shipachyov played three games for Vegas before a weird situation saw him return home to Russia. Anton Belov came over from the KHL to play one season for a terrible Edmonton team in 2013-14. He played 16 minutes a night and was back in Russia next season. Sergei Plotnikov was a solid scorer overseas, but couldn’t translate it to NHL success. He played sparingly for Pittsburgh and Arizona then returned to the KHL the following season. The Blackhawks hit big on Panarin and Rutta, but Viktor Tikhonov’s return to the NHL was a bust.
The value in European free agents is far outweighs any potential Plotnikov or Tikhonov. Team’s can capitalize on a top-six forward or a top-four defenceman that only costs money and a contract spot. If things don’t work out, they can cut bait at the end of the season or sooner. NHL teams need every opportunity to improve with the increasing parity and salary cap, making European free agents a worthwhile investment.