Seven former NHLers mysteriously have their contracts terminated

Seven hockey player who all played in the NHL at one point in their careers have just had their overseas contracts terminated as their team goes through some turmoil

It's a tough day for several hockey players participating in the KHL in Russia. One of the league's teams is making massive changes after a poor start to the season, and that includes terminating the contracts of seven players who once played in the NHL.

Barys Astana has gone through a new general manager and has fired two head coaches so far in the 2024-25 season. Now comes word on major moves with the team's roster, including import players (players not from Russia). The moves include the termination of the contracts of former NHLers Wade Allison, Nathan Beaulieu, Will Butcher, Chase De Leo, Alex Grant, Michael McLeod, and CJ Smith.

It has already been mentioned that these players may return to North America to play in the AHL now that the KHL option has been removed. Many veterans who have chosen to play in the KHL have said they do so because KHL teams play to win, while AHL teams will bench veterans in favour of the development of younger players. The development of young hockey players takes priority over winning games and championships in the AHL, which is completely different from the KHL (and most other pro leagues).

Barys Astana's scorched earth approach to making changes is turning a lot of heads, even in Russia. Famous Soviet hockey player and Olympic champion Alexander Pashkov came out firing against the team's actions, saying they need to think about how the hockey world is viewing this situation.

We'll now have to wait for word on what will happen to these seven players. It is possible for them to be signed by other teams in the KHL. However, with the 2024-25 season underway since August, many teams have already reached their limit on import players.

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