Barry Trotz knew his time with the Nashville Predators was nearing an end as his replacement search was almost over, but he made sure to end his tenure with a bang, signing highly touted KHL star Vitali Pinchuk to an entry-level contract.
Pinchuk, 24, has spent the last five seasons with Dinamo Minsk in the KHL, playing 247 games and recording 145 points. Last season, the Belarusian center was third in league scoring with 31 goals and sixth in points with 66. Compared to the mass of 30-year-olds surrounding him in these categories, his outing becomes even more impressive.
In the Belarusian Extraleague, the highest tier of hockey in Belarus, Pinchuk scored 12 goals and 22 points in 2021-22. He helped Metallurg Zhlobin complete a three-peat in the league's playoffs, adding even more prestige to his name. He is also a three-time KHL All-Star Game invitee and a silver medalist (2018-19) in the EYOF (European Youth Olympic Festival), a biennial multi-sport tournament for athletes aged 14-18 around Europe.
His physical presence is certainly one of his calling cards. Standing at 6-foot-3, 203 pounds, he is one tough player to stop. His puck handling is relentless, and his size makes it difficult to take the puck away and bring him to a halt. Defenders struggle to keep up with him, and this is big news for the Predators, a team looking for faster and tough-to-beat youngsters.
Pinchuk's opening night arrival is up in the air
Prior to Chris MacFarland's arrival to Nashville, Pinchuk had a clear spot in the lineup. The absence of depth centers Michael McCarron and Erik Haula opened up spots for him to slide into. When new management took to the stage, we saw the acquisition of Ross Colton, Jack Drury, Nils Hoglander and Alex Kerfoot which drastically decreased openings in the bottom six.
For Pinchuk, this just means more competition. There is one forward spot left in the Predators lineup. Whether that is at center or at the wing is still unknown, but that will become clear as we get closer to preseason and opening night.
Among the other candidates for a roster spot, that being Ozzy Wiesblatt, Reid Schaefer and Brady Martin, Pinchuk is potentially the strongest. Yes, the other three have NHL experience under their belts, but considering how similar the KHL is to the NHL in terms of player skill and competition, Pinchuk being a star in such league can only mean good things for his NHL translation.
There have been a multitude of undrafted, KHL signings that have paid off. It goes without question that the best player in this category is LA Kings forward Artemi Panarin. Since signing his first NHL contract, he's played 830 games where he's scored 330 goals and tallied 624 assists. Andrei Kuzmenko is a more recent signing. After a strong season in the KHL, he landed a deal with the Vancouver Canucks and immediately translated, scoring 39 goals and 74 points in his rookie campaign. Can Pinchuk follow a similar route as these notable names?
Pinchuk's future is uncertain, and the current framework of Nashville's roster amplifies that. It may take time for him to develop, but under the right system, he can be one of the team's best middle-six forwards for years to come.
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