Detroit Red Wings in the mix to sign highly touted Russian Forward

The KHL season ended a week ago, with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl winning the Gagarin Cup against Traktor Chelyabinsk.

In Russia, players and teams are getting ready for free agency, and reports suggest that a coveted player who competed for Traktor in the Finals will be looking to pursue his career in North America.

Indeed, Maxim Shabanov, a skilled 24-year-old forward, will be a free agent and could be signing with an NHL team on July 1st.

The right winger scored 67 points, including 23 goals, in 65 games this season, as well as 10 goals and 10 assists in 21 playoff games.

He stood out from the pack with his speed, scoring skills, and IQ, but his size could be problematic in the NHL. At 5'8", 157 pounds, he will need to use his speed to his advantage while going against bigger opponents.

However, many teams are likely to be interested, as the player can put on a show.

Watch some of his impressive highlights here :

Shabanov was even nominated for the "Golden Stick", a trophy awarded to the most valuable player in the KHL:

The Red Wings must be in the mix to sign him. While other teams could be in a position to offer him more money, in Detroit, there's a rich history of Russian champions, which Yzerman must use to his advantage to convince him.

If he ends up coming over to North America, he could do some real damage in the League, and the Red Wings will want to make sure he's on their side, not against them.

Reports confirmed that the Vegas Golden Knights, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Philadelphia Flyers have shown interest, but until a contract gets signed, other teams can still make offers.

We can also imagine that the Montreal Canadiens could be in the mix, with young star Ivan Demidov set to embark on his rookie season next fall.