The Colorado Avalanche might be able to get another Russian prospect to cross the pond in 2025.
Zakhar Bardakov, acquired from the New Jersey Devils back on March 1 in the Kurtis MacDermid trade, just completed his KHL season, as his club, SKA, was eliminated from the second round of the playoffs on Monday. Bardakov finished the season with 16 points in 61 total games, but his game is not really about offense. He’s a physical player who plays big and kills penalties for his team over in Russia.
However, his contract with SKA ends on April 30, and he currently does not have an extension in place. I reached out to his representation to see if he has any interest in signing with the Avalanche and coming to North America.
As it turns out, he does…just not right away.
“I think he’ll come to play for the Colorado Avalanche after next season,” Bardakov’s agent, Shumi Babaev, told Colorado Hockey Now.
I asked for further clarification on what his plans are for 2024-25, and was told by Babaev that the current plan is for him to play another year in the KHL, although he didn’t specify which team he’ll be playing for.
Baradakov is a different player than Nikolai Kovalenko, who the Avalanche just got to North America last week. He doesn’t possess the skill of Kovalenko, but he’s a center, and you can never have enough centers in your system. While he’s listed at 6’2″, he looks much bigger than that on the ice, and he plays like it. He throws his body around, and isn’t afraid to get his nose dirty. He’s the type of player who could be a fit on the fourth line.
The 23 year old was a seventh round pick by the Devils in the 2021 NHL Draft. He has spent the last four seasons in the KHL, so if he does eventually come over, he’ll be coming with years of professional hockey experience.
As always, CHN will be on top of all things Avalanche related, so stay tuned. We’ll continue to keep a close eye on Bardakov to see where he spends the 2024-25 campaign.
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