A significant trade rumor involving Detroit Red Wings top prospect has surfaced in the KHL, according to a report from the Russian website SportExpress.ru.
SportExpress reports that SKA St. Petersburg is in advanced discussions to acquire goaltender Nikita Serebryakov from Admiral in exchange for a package that includes Buchelnikov, goaltender Sergei Ivanov, and a substantial amount of cash.
Serebryakov, who has been with Admiral since 2021, has posted impressive stats this season with a .920 save percentage and a 2.48 goals-against average. Notably, he has connections to Michigan-based goaltending instructor Stan Matwijiw from his junior hockey days.
🚨 Yegor Gurzanov
🍎 Dmitri Buchelnikov #LGRW
5-2 SKA Neva #VHL pic.twitter.com/14NadzEAJZ— Hockey News Hub (@HockeyNewsHub) October 1, 2023
SKA St. Petersburg had been the top seed in last year’s KHL playoffs but was eliminated in the Gagarin Cup semifinals by eventual champions CSKA, led by former Red Wings star Sergei Fedorov. The team is struggling in the 2023-24 season, currently holding the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference with a 6-6 record through 12 games.
Despite SKA St. Petersburg’s struggles, they have not given Buchelnikov, a 20-year-old left-winger, a chance to play for the team. He is currently with SKA Neva in the VHL, the Russian second division, which serves as the top farm club for SKA St. Petersburg.
Buchelnikov has been performing well, averaging a point per game with 3 goals and 9 assists in 12 games. He has also made one appearance for SKA 1946 in the junior MHL, registering one assist. In the previous season, he played in 10 KHL games for SKA, contributing one goal and one assist.
#BuchSZN
🚨 Dmitri Buchelnikov PP 💪 #LGRW
2-1 SKA Neva #VHL pic.twitter.com/nZLOPBqee1— Hockey News Hub (@HockeyNewsHub) October 1, 2023
This isn’t the first trade rumor surrounding Buchelnikov this season. In late summer, there were reports suggesting that SKA might loan him to another KHL club for the season, with Lada and HC Sochi mentioned as possible destinations, but the loan never materialized.
If this trade comes to fruition, it would mark a significant change for Buchelnikov. Admiral is located in Vladivostok, a Far East Russian city near Mongolia, which is approximately 6,000 miles east of St. Petersburg. To put this into perspective, it would take about 123 hours to drive from one city to the other by car.
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