Detroit Red Wings young forward traded in surprise deal

In the KHL, many reports stated that HC Vityaz is on the brink of bankruptcy and could miss the 2025-26 season. If that were to be the case, players with a season left on their contracts would be free to sign elsewhere.

One of the players who could've come to the NHL is Red Wings prospect Dmitri Buchelnikov, but a new development confirmed he won't get the chance to come over to North America before the end of his contract, in 2026.

Indeed, Buchelnikov was traded by Vityaz to CSKA for financial compensation.

Drafted 52nd overall by the Red Wings in 2022, the 21-year-old, 5-foot-10 forward has been playing in the KHL for the past three seasons. This year, in 65 games, he scored 15 goals and 39 assists, leading his team in points, which got him invited to the KHL All-Star Game.

The Detroit Red Wings could greatly benefit from adding Buchelnikov to the team, but now that he got traded, the team and the fans will need to wait another year before he can come to North America.

The additional year in Russia, with CSKA, will be beneficial for his development, and he will be a much better player by the time he comes to the NHL.

But considering the Red Wings' immediate needs and Buchelnikov's recent prowess in the KHL, Yzerman could also be tempted to see what his value would look like on the trade market.

As for Vityaz, it'll be interesting to see if the compensation from the trade will be enough to solve their financial issues.