Zherdev on media 'lies,' why he didn't end up with Thrashers

As we reported yesterday, former New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets winger Nikolai Zherdev(notes) has signed with Atlant of the KHL, and is expected to make his debut for the club on Sept. 21 against Amur. Atlant is waiting for a transfer card from the IIHF. (For the trivia fans: He will wear No. 13 on his back.)My colleague Pavel Lysenkov spoke with Nik about his big move, and Zherdev had some candid revelations about his negotiations with the Rangers and why he didn't end up signing with the Atlanta Thrashers. Q. Why did you sign a contract with Atlant?ZHERDEV: I signed with Atlant because I couldn't agree on terms with the Atlanta Thrashers. The negotiation reached a dead end. I had to wait for some time. But there was no time to wait. The season has already started. And I decided to spend this year in the KHL. I know my team very well. I played with a lot of guys at CSKA and in Mytischi. We will quickly find understanding [on the ice]. I also followed the KHL all...