Orlov to KHL?

[lobo1969]

https://www.russianmachineneverbreak...rlov-capitals/

Queue the Russians leaving NHL chatter.

[PenguinHunter]

Interesting... hopefully not... he was starting to play really well.

[Chuk]

Didn't the KHL just fold a team and not pay a whole bunch of people?

I mean, players may want to play at home, but not as much as they want to get paid.

[Rodgort]

KHL: "Hi Dmitry, do you want to get paid less money then you will get in the NHL to be a #1-#3 dman on our team?"

[rataylor22]

More likely a bargaining tactic than an actual threat.

[pmorrow]

I would assume bargaining tactic as well, and with the Olympics this season the threat might be perceived with a little more urgency. I doubt a player of his talent, age and role is going to get away from the Caps though.

[Axeman33]

More likely a bargaining tactic than an actual threat.

Yep

[Sulla]

Agree with Rataylor - he has shown enough that someone will pay him even if it isn't Washington

[The Bottlenecker]

More likely a bargaining tactic than an actual threat.

Exactly. I think guys who play this card in public should have to go play elsewhere for a year, and only be allowed back in the NHL with the same contract situation and team from whence they left. Seriously!

[hockeymanG23]

KHL: "Hi Dmitry, do you want to get paid less money then you will get in the NHL to be a #1-#3 dman on our team?"

And maybe not even be payed at all?... hmm?

[Sulla]

Exactly. I think guys who play this card in public should have to go play elsewhere for a year, and only be allowed back in the NHL with the same contract situation and team from whence they left. Seriously!

I wouldn't go that far TBH - especially when RFA's have limited flexibility in negotiations with their teams and NHL teams have a history of driving hard bargains in these scenarios

[Jouko-Pouko]

This is purely driven by the KHL team (CSKA) that owns Orlov's rights there. The two big teams that have all the money in the world (SKA and CSKA) always do this when one of their players is UFA or RFA in the NHL. They even acquire player's rights just for this purpose.

Before Zaitsev re-signed with Toronto, CSKA offered him 700 million rubles over two years which would have been around $6M AAV ($12M total). Then it's just up to the player to decide if he wants to stay in the NHL or go back to Russia. Every person is different, so impossible to know which ones will go the Russia in these cases.

I do believe Kuznetsov has been offered a huge KHL contract as well but I don't have any details about that.

[ChilePuck]

Will they go back? Good read here: https://www.theplayerstribune.com/ev...russia-hockey/

[The Comish]

Could this simply be an Olympic play? Sign a one year deal in the KHL, make a few bucks, then break for the Olympics and not have to worry about incurring any NHL penalties for skipping out?

[Sulla]

I don't think so... Primarily as I think the NHL still go to the Olympics... Feels like a giant game of chicken

- - - Updated - - -

But maybe I'm just naieve