The Montreal Canadiens signed left-wing prospect Arsen Khisamutdinov to a two-year contract with undisclosed financial terms. This contract carries him through the 2021-22 season.
The Montreal Canadiens announced on Friday that the team has agreed to terms on a two-year, entry-level contract with forward Arsen Khisamutdinov.
He was drafted in the sixth-round by Montreal in 2019: https://t.co/lGvnMNe2Ho #TSNHockey pic.twitter.com/zZwOLNPF43
— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) May 1, 2020
Arsen Khisamutdinov Signs With the Montreal Canadiens
Khisamutdinov split the 2019-20 campaign between Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk of the KHL and CSK VVS Samara of the VHL, both Russian leagues. Over his past two seasons playing for Nizhnekamsk in the big leagues, he put up three goals and five assists for eight points in 40 games. He was originally drafted in the sixth round, 170th overall of the 2019 NHL draft by the Canadiens.
The two-year contract he signed is an entry-level contract, meaning the maximum average annual value (AAV) on the deal will be $925,000. The maximum total contract value is $1.85 million. The deal starts in the 2020-21 season.
What This Means for the Future
Khisamutdinov was a big question mark for the Habs when he was drafted. He ended up being picked in his last year of draft eligibility at age 21. He’s mostly a prototypical Russian power forward – large size, good shot, good skating. Khisamutdinov clocks in at 6′ 3″ and 203 pounds, so he still has to grow into his frame a little.
Khisamutdinov likely heads straight to Laval in the AHL next season. While he has solid potential for a sixth-round pick, he will need a transitional period to hone his skills and adjust to North American ice. He should be able to gain some traction there, receiving more opportunities than he did in the KHL. While he’s likely never going to be anything more than a depth contributor, he has the skillset to make it at the NHL level.
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