There has been another twist in the Vadim Shipachyov - Vegas Golden Knights saga.
Per Eric Engels of Sportsnet, the 30-year-old Russian forward has been suspended after leaving the Chicago Wolves, the minor league affiliate to the Golden Knights, and that if a trade does not soon take place, Shipachyov’s contract with Vegas could be terminated and he could return to Russia.
The Golden Knights signed Shipachyov to a two-year, $9 million deal in May. Shipachyov had spent his entire professional career in Russia, posting lofty numbers playing for St. Petersburg SKA, especially over the last three years, making him an intriguing player for the expansion franchise as he transitioned to the North American game.
Latest from VGK: Shippy suspended w/out pay after leaving Wolves 4 Vegas w/out OK; Garrison clears waivers, goes to Wolves; Reinhart waived
— Steve Carp (@stevecarp56) October 29, 2017
Recalled from the AHL two weeks ago, Shipachyov made his debut against Boston and scored in that game. In three games with Vegas, he had only the one goal, and never made it to the 11-minute mark in ice time in each of those contests.
Earlier this week, the Golden Knights sent Shipachyov back down to the minors but also reportedly gave him and his agent permission to seek a trade out of Vegas, as this working relationship continued through a rather lengthy rough patch.
While this has been taking place off the ice, the Golden Knights have continued to rack up the wins, with eight in nine games to begin their inaugural season.
————
Cam Tucker is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @CamTucker_Sport.