Denis Gurianov, acquired by the Philadelphia Flyers from the Nashville Predators on the March 8 NHL trade deadline in exchange for winger Wade Allison, has paused his NHL career, signing a two-year contract with KHL outfit CSKA Moscow on Thursday.
Gurianov, who only turned 27 years old on June 7, appeared in just four games for the Flyers in the 2023-24 season, scoring zero points. The former No. 12 overall pick played 14 games with the Predators prior to the trade, picking up a goal and an assist.
The last few years have represented a rocky road for Gurianov. The 6-foot-3 forward bounced around quite a bit, playing for the Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens, Predators, and Flyers in the span of only two seasons. This also doesn’t include Gurianov’s stint in the AHL last year, when he scored 12 goals, 18 assists, and 30 points in only 27 games with the Predators’ minor league affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals.
As mentioned above, Gurianov is a former top draft pick of the Stars who flattered to deceive for most of his NHL career. The 27-year-old potted 20 goals and enjoyed a scintillating playoff run for Dallas in the 2019-20 season and notched back-to-back 30-point seasons in 2020-21 and 2021-22, but the bottom really fell out in 2022-23.
In 66 games between the Habs and the Stars, Gurianov managed only seven goals, 10 assists, and 17 points, hence the beginning of the carousel that has now landed the Tolyatti native back in the KHL.
“He’s interesting. Big, 6-foot-3 left winger that can skate like him. The fact that he’s had some success in some big games,” Briere said after striking the deal for Gurianov. “He’s had a pretty interesting playoff run a few years ago. I know it’s been a little tougher for him the last couple of years, but if he catches fire again… we’re a little thin on the left side, and he brings us speed and size – who knows where that goes?”
After signing a pact with CSKA for two years, it will be a while before we see Gurianov in the NHL again, if at all.
Gurianov was a true pro for the Flyers, even when he was sitting out and not playing. As a player who’s played in the NHL for parts of seven years, Gurianov was supremely helpful for the Flyers organization, helping serve as a liaison and de facto translator for his fellow Russian, newcomer Ivan Fedotov, as the hulking goaltender started his transition to North American life and moving from a KHL career to an NHL career.
The former Flyers forward joins CSKA in a wave of KHL offseason signings that includes Egor Afanasyev, Ruslan Iskhakov, and Dmitry Samorukov.
