Anaheim winger Ryan Garbutt has agreed to join KHL club HC Sochi, the club announced on Wednesday.
Garbutt, 31, fell out of favor this year, getting waived in December despite being one of just 10 players to dress for all 27 games to start the season.
The decision to waive him came after a significant decrease in minutes. Prior to the move, he played just 5:31 in a win over the Sharks on Nov. 26, and 5:50 in a win over Vancouver on Dec. 1.
Last year, Anaheim acquired Garbutt in a midseason deal from Chicago. He performed well for the Ducks, scoring five goals and eight points in 37 games, and scored a goal in the club’s opening-round playoff loss to Nashville.
Garbutt is a polarizing player. Over a two-year span from 2014-15, he was one of the league’s most reckless skaters and found himself in a slew of disciplinary problems.
And the timing of today’s announcement may raise eyebrows. Garbutt played 28 games for AHL San Diego this year and is still on the active roster. The Gulls also just advanced to the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs.
That said, he is dealing with an injury and hasn’t played since Feb. 25.