With the Florida Panthers lacking scoring depth on their bottom six, should General Manager Dale Tallon pursue KHL forward Ivan Telegin?
Bottom-six forwards such as Riley Sheahan, Troy Brouwer, and Jamie McGinn are all unrestricted free agents and are unlikely to return to Florida for the 2020 NHL season. Therefore, the Florida Panthers will undoubtedly seek reinforcements in order to improve their bottom six.
Russian forward Ivan Telegin is an intriguing name to keep an eye on. The 27-year-old, power forward is reportedly hoping to sign a contract with an NHL team following the IIHF tournament.
Telegin’s NHL rights currently belong to the Winnipeg Jets, but it’s unlikely the Jets will sign Telegin before he hits free agency on July 1st.
Ivan Telegin has spent his entire five-year KHL career with CSKA Moscow of the KHL, helping them win the Gagarin Cup in 2019.
The 2019 season was essentially Telegin’s most productive season in the KHL in terms of point production.
In 49 regular-season contests, Telegin recorded a slash line of 6G, 16A, for 22 points while also registering a plus/minus rating of +14 on the year.
In essence, Telegin is an adequate two-way power forward who has produced sufficiently for CSKA Moscow during his KHL career.
He provides a reliable presence, playing an effective brand of hockey on both ends of the ice. Furthermore, he could certainly provide the Panthers with much-needed talent on their bottom six, particularly their fourth line.
Telegin is not necessarily a flashy player, but he does all of the little things extremely well. Ivan can impact the game in numerous aspects and can bolster the quality of the forward depth for the Panthers immediately.
In addition, Telegin would likely be an inexpensive option, considering the 27-year-old native of Russia has no NHL experience.
The former fourth-round draft selection by the Atlanta Thrashers has also performed rather adequately for Team Russia during international tournaments.
Telegin, a former KHL All-Star selection, produced a respectable line of 11G, 10A, for 21 points in 48 International games played for Russia.
As well, while participating in 26 WC contests, Ivan Telegin registered a decent tally of 7G, 4A, for 11 points.
Telegin helped Russia win the Olympic Gold Medal in 2018, recording 3 points in 6 games during the 2018 Olympic Games.
Despite playing limited minutes and predominantly on the fourth line, Telegin has still made a positive impact whether on Team Russia or CSKA Moscow.
Ultimately, he deserves a shot in the National Hockey League, and the Panthers should at least make an offer for his services.
While last year’s KHL signing of Bogdan Kiselevich did not exactly pan out, the Florida Panthers should remain persistent in the European Market.
Tallon previously struck gold with the Evgenii Dadonov signing several years ago, thus proving that the KHL does possess quality NHL-level talent.
In essence, former CSKA Moscow forward Ivan Telegin could potentially become another diamond in the rough for the Florida Panthers if the team gives him a chance. In hindsight, the Cats should certainly make a run at signing the impending UFA.