In the two years since Andrei Markov left the NHL and the Montreal Canadiens for Ak Bars Kazan of the KHL, he’s felt the highest of highs, and also crushing lows. In his first year back in the KHL as a full-time player, he helped pull off a phenomenal upset, capturing the Gagarin Cup over CSKA Moscow in five games. In that season Markov ranked fourth on his team in scoring, and was fifth among defenders in the entire KHL. Not bad for a then 39-year-old man with multiple major knee surgeries in his past.
At the same time, the Canadiens were trudging through one of their worst seasons on record, and ended up with the third overall pick in the NHL Draft.