Will a strong rumor turn out to be nothing? “Vanguard” and the agent do not know anything about the possible departure of Knight
Pavel Panyshev July 24, 2023, 2:45 PM Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
But there is no smoke without fire, so don’t be surprised if the Canadian leaves Omsk.
Today, a strong rumor has passed through the hockey news of sports media and the Internet. Avangard’s Canadian striker Korban Knight could reportedly leave the club for family reasons, and both parties are quickly deciding how to resolve this issue. It was reported that the Omsk leadership was already selecting new candidates for Knight’s scarce position, but the best center forwards, and even more so Korban level, are now almost impossible to find.
Which foreign players play in the KHL:
Two dozen Canadians, some Europeans and a Japanese. Which of the foreigners remains in the KHL?
By the way, an open training session of the Hawks took place today, at which head coach Mikhail Kravets was asked about the timing of the arrival of the Knight team and American Reed Boucher.
“Knight and Boucher are scheduled to join us in Sochi ahead of the tournament. Left winger in the top three? Of course, we are waiting for Vladimir Tkachev, and then we will search, ”Kravets said.
Precisely, the “Vanguard” for the next season appeared the supertroika. Two first-rate legionnaires and Vladimir Tkachev, with whom, undoubtedly, they will eventually agree and sign a contract.
The three complemented each other perfectly in the last championship. Knight, Boucher and Tkachev score high, close out the majority and are a dream for any coach. But Tkachev, we repeat, has not yet been signed, and now unpleasant conversations have also begun to appear around Knight.
“The information is truly staggering, but, as always, my position is clear. There is a regulation, and our company and the players respect it to the maximum”, the agent of the hockey player Alyosha Pilko commented specifically for our publication on the rumors surrounding Knight.
Who will lead Omsk next season:
Hartley didn’t wait. Avangard did not change the coach: this is logical and risky
In general, everything is going very well for Korban in the KHL. Last season, Knight played in 58 regular season games and scored 34 (15 assisted goals to 19) points in his performance. In the 2023 playoffs he has 10 (5 + 5) points in 14 games. Knight, along with Bush, should become the highest paid hockey player in the league next season (the salary of both is 95 million rubles). Neither one nor the other will receive such money neither in Europe nor in North America.
All conditions have been created for Knight in Omsk, he is loved by fans and appreciated by the coaching staff. The Canadian is a backbone hockey player for the current Avangard. Especially given the restructuring in the team and the existing problems with the composition.
Korban Knight and Reed Boucher
Photo: Yuri Kuzmin, photo.khl.ru
“The team is now preparing for the season according to the approved schedule, according to which Korban Knight, together with Reed Bush, should join Avangard at the Sochi tournament on August 3. We have not changed any of these plans at the moment,” Avant-garde General Manager Anton Kuryanov specifically told our post.
Of course, in the current political situation, legionnaires may have various problems, including family ones. But I want such a high level foreigner to stay in our league. Knight himself has long been accustomed to Russia and the KHL, he has proven himself here, and if he leaves Avangard, all plans and preparations for the season may fail. The role of the head coach (and, of course, the club’s management) will instantly increase significantly, but will Kravets cope with the crisis and have enough experience to make the right decisions during the season?
Mikhail Vorobyov from SKA is already being asked to marry in Omsk (the army team continues to download the payroll), but Mikhail, with all due respect, is unlikely to replace Knight. We will follow how this whole story ends and what denominator the club and the player will arrive at.
