Vancouver has responded to Nikita Tryamkin’s surprising decision to leave the team, and sign in his native Russia.
“We are disappointed Nikita chose to sign in the KHL, but also recognize from what he told us in our exit meetings that this was a family decision first,” Canucks GM Jim Benning said in a statement. “He has a chance to be an impact player in the NHL and we offered him a two-year extension.
“But for now he is home and we will move ahead with building this team with other young players.”
Tryamkin, 22, was taken 66th overall by the Canucks at the ’14 draft, and made his NHL debut last season.
This year started slowly -- he was held out of the first few weeks to work on his conditioning -- but after getting in a groove, he was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dim campaign. Tryamkin scored nine points in 66 games, averaging 16:44 TOI per night while emerging as one of the team’s most physically imposing players.
At 6-foot-7 and 265 pounds, Tyramkin is a towering presence and losing him will undoubtedly hurt the Canucks moving forward. Per the Province, Tryamkin told a Russian media outlet he was displeased with his playing time and role in Vancouver, believing he could have seen more TOI.
The Canucks can retain Tryamkin’s NHL rights through 2022, so long as they make him a qualifying offer by June 27 (per Canucks Army).