Flyers sign another KHL player
For the second straight day, the Flyers signed a player from Russia's KHL.
For the second straight day, the Flyers signed a player from Russia's KHL.
They added speedy 5-foot-11, 188-pound free-agent right winger Aaron Palushaj, a Michigan native, on Thursday.
Palushaj, 25, had played 68 NHL games earlier in his career. He split last season between two KHL teams, collecting a total of seven goals and 21 points in 53 games.
A former player at the University of Michigan, Palushaj played briefly with Montreal, Colorado, and Carolina in the NHL, accumulating three goals and 14 points while averaging 9 minutes and 2 seconds of ice time in 68 games.
Palushaj was selected in the second round (44th overall) by St. Louis in the 2007 draft.
On Twitter, Palushaj tweeted: "Very happy to be joining @NHLFlyers organization and represent the black and orange!"
At the least, Palushaj gives the Phantoms, the Flyers' AHL farm team, some depth. But he will be given a chance to make the big-league team in training camp.
On Wednesday, the Flyers signed defenseman Evgeni Medvedev from the KHL. The Flyers originally spelled his first name with a "Y," but announced Thursday that his passport spells his first name "Evgeni."
After that signing, Flyers general manager Ron Hextall said Russia's weak economy probably played a role in convincing Medvedev to jump to the NHL.
"We all know about the ruble," Hextall said. "I'm sure that has something to do with some players coming over."
In Russia, Medvedev told reporters he was offered contracts from five NHL teams.
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