Several Teams Looking At Undrafted Free Agent From KHL

Sometimes, but name KHL players that have or haven't been drafted, make their way over to the NHL when they've spent a number of years overseas. But other times, these future stars come over early, like Ivan Demidov and Matvei Michkov.

A third option is that certain KHL players go undrafted and build themselves up before coming over. The next player to do this appears to be on his way, according to Elliotte Friedman. The insider said, "An undrafted free agent picking up steam...Vitali Pinchuk. There are several teams looking at him."

Pinchuk is just 23 years old and is in his fourth full season in the KHL after just getting a taste in his first two seasons. In 2019-20, he was actually already in North America and played in the OHL for a season before starting his career in the KHL.

Pinchuk is an interesting player that I'm not surprised plenty of teams are looking at. He plays center and is young. After breaking out for 25 goals and 43 points in 66 games for Minsk Dynamo last season, he already has nine goals and 21 points in 22 games. It appears like he is just going to keep getting better, and for a young team looking for more talent up front, he could be someone who jumps right into the lineup.

I expect teams lacking center depth or teams looking to add more young talent to all be looking at him. This includes teams such as the Nashville Predators, LA Kings, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, Minnesota Wild, Florida Panthers, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, and maybe even more.

It seems like a foregone conclusion that Pinchuk will be headed over to the NHL. It's just a matter of where he wants to play. The assumption is that he would be looking for a team where he has an opportunity to produce on an entry-level deal before signing a bigger ticket afterward.