Hudler's KHL Deal a Sign of Things to Come?

For the most part, the sort of players who have been turning their backs on the NHL and signing contracts with Russia’s Continental Hockey League (KHL) come from one of two camps: either they’re young Russians who don’t like the idea of leaving home and spending a few years riding a bus in the minors or Canadian juniors; or, they’re former stars like Alexei Yashin or Jaromir Jagr in search of one last big payday. Detroit’s Jiri Hudler doesn’t fit either profile. Just 25, the young Czech is coming off his finest NHL season, having scored 23 goals and 57 points while only averaging about 13:30 of ice time per game for the defending Western Conference champs. A restricted free agent, Hudler opted for arbitration with the Red Wings before apparently signing a two-year contract with Dynamo Moscow of the KHL that’s reportedly worth about $5 million per season. Since the resolution of the lockout, the NHL salary cap has risen at the end of every...