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Boston Bruins: Alexander Khokhlachev One Of Many To Sign KHL Contracts This Offseason

By Brandon Share-Cohen

Sep 24, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins center Alexander Khokhlachev (76) skates in the offensive zone during the second period against the Washington Capitals at TD Banknorth Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 24, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins center Alexander Khokhlachev (76) skates in the offensive zone during the second period against the Washington Capitals at TD Banknorth Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports /
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Boston Bruins: Multiple Bruins Sign With KHL This Offseason Including Alexander Khokhlachev

In the modern-day NHL, it isn’t uncommon to lose players in an offseason. Due to various reasons that include salary cap issues, a change in team-direction, a falling out between a player and a franchise, or simply the temptation of testing free agency and seeking other opportunities, players leaves teams regularly in search of other opportunities. Typically, when a player leaves a franchise, however, they sign with another NHL franchise; this has not been the case for the Boston Bruins this offseason.

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It was announced on Tuesday that Bruins’ prospect Alexander Khokhlachev would be signing a contract with SKA St. Petersburg which will kick in next month. The news was first broken in a report by a Russian Twitter account. The original tweet can be found here.

After the way Khokhlachev’s career as a Boston Bruin ended last season, it should come as a shock to nobody that the young Russian forward left for the KHL. It was made clear that playing in the AHL forever was not something that Khokhlachev was willing to do when he stated:

“I’m 22. If they don’t give me the chance to play, why am I here? I will not play in Providence all my life,”.

Admittedly, there was never much of a chance for Khokhlachev to showcase his ability at the NHL level, but that’s far from an issue that the Bruins can be blamed for. With players like Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci locked-in at the top-two center ice positions on the Boston Bruins, there was no place for Khokhlachev to play center within their big club. Between Carl Soderberg and Ryan Spooner, the third line center position was occupied as well, and a fourth-line role simply wasn’t a fit for the type of player that Khokhlachev is or the skill-set that he brings to the table.

Earlier in the off-season, the 22-year-old center’s agent had this to say:

"“Alexander did not really get a chance for all the years that he signed a deal, for four years, the deals he signed with Boston, didn’t really get a chance to play in the National Hockey League, so he won’t stay in the organization,” – Alexei Dementiev"

While Khokhlachev leaving isn’t shocking, he is only the latest of three former-Bruins to leave for a KHL team this offseason.

The Boston Bruins likely weren’t going to re-sign Maxime Talbot or Joonas Kemppainen to contracts this off-season, and both decided to take their talents and leave for the KHL as well. The story behind all three of these players is drastically different, but the end-result remains the same.

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As discussed in the article found here, Maxime Talbot announced that after playing for10 seasons in the NHL, he would be signing a contract with the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the KHL. The veteran center spent a large portion of his life playing hockey at the highest level in the NHL and was rewarded with a Stanley Cup in 2009; he will continue to play the sport he lives, but under much different circumstances in an unfamiliar country.

Joonas Kemppainen played for the Bruins in his first season in the NHL last season. His time was spent split between both the NHL and AHL, and ultimately he simply couldn’t put together a good enough showing to merit a permanent role on the Bruins’ big club. One season was all it took for the Finnish-born center to leave the North-American game and sign a contract with the Sibiu Novosibirsk of the KHL. Kemppainen’s KHL signing was discussed here.

Next: Joonas Kemppainen Leaves For Russia

Three players, spending various amounts of time within the Bruins’ organization and in the NHL, all signing in the KHL in one season. It isn’t often that the Bruins lose a player to the KHL, let alone three all within such a short time-span. While both Kemppainen and Talbot were set to become Unrestricted Free Agents, Khokhlachev’s rights will remain with Boston as he is set to become a Restricted Free Agent this offseason. The future could hold a return to the NHL for any or all of these three former-Bruins, but for now, the KHL and Russian is where they will call home.

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