The 22-year-old defenceman had been playing under contract with the KHL’s Kazan Ak-Bars, where he scored a goal and four points in 17 games. He was assigned to the minors, where he played 17 games with Bears Kazan, scoring five goals and eight points. He has had years of experience in Russia, and is still working on improving his game.
His stats were more impressive in his previous season playing for HK Sochi. He scored nine goals and 27 points in 37 games last year.