Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Golden Knights add KHL’s top scorer Gusev for playoffs

Russia v USA - 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship

COLOGNE, GERMANY - MAY 16: Nikita Gusev of Russia celebrates a goal during the Russia v USA 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship match at Lanxess Arena on May 16, 2017 in Cologne, Germany. (Photo by Martin Rose/Getty Images)

Getty Images

The Vegas Golden Knights are adding some extra offensive firepower to their lineup.

The team announced on Sunday afternoon that it has officially signed Nikita Gusev, the leading scorer in the KHL this past season, to a one-year, entry-level contract.

He will not be available for Sunday’s Game 3 against the San Jose Sharks but will be with the team for practice on Monday.

The Golden Knights acquired Gusev, 26, from the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2017 expansion draft. He has spent the past 10 years playing in the KHL and has been better than a point-per-game player over the past four years, including his 82 points (17 goals, 65 assists in 62 games this season.
[NBC 2019 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]

Gusev spent the past four years playing for St. Petersburg SKA and was just released from his contract with the club this past week, opening the door for him to make the jump to the NHL.

He was originally a seventh-round draft pick, No. 202 overall, by the Lightning in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

He has never played in North America so there will definitely be a pretty big adjustment for him when -- or if -- he gets in the lineup in this series, but he is definitely a high-skilled player that could make an already deep and talented Golden Knights roster even more dangerous to defend against.

Game 3 of the Golden Knights-Sharks series is at 10 p.m. ET on NBCSN

Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.