It is quite common these days to see once-promising NHLers take over the KHL and dominate for their respective clubs, and that is exactly what one former New Jersey Devils forward has done after four seasons out of the league.
With his goal in a 5-3 loss to Salavat Yulaev Ufa, Shanghai Dragons (formerly known as Kunlun Red Star) forward Nick Merkley, who was a solid but unspectacular player for the Devils, became the franchise's most prolific single-season goal-scorer of all-time with his 24th tally of the season.
With that goal and point, Merkley, now at 45 points on the season, extended his lead on longtime Red Star captain Brandon Yip for the most points in a single season in franchise history.
Merkley's Dragons teammate, Borna Rendulic, is close behind him with 20 goals and 44 points this season, but there are only two regular season games remaining to close the gap. For now, the single-season points record belongs to the former Devil.
Yip previously held the single-season record for goals in a season with 21, but Devin Brosseau surpassed him in 2023-24 with his 23 goals. Now, Merkley is above them both at 24 goals and counting.
Merkley, Rendulic, and the Dragons have just 16 wins in 66 games this season and are eliminated from Gagarin Cup playoff contention.
Merkley, 28, left the Devils in 2021, appearing in nine games for the San Jose Sharks in 2021-22, scoring a goal, two assists, and three points.
The former first-round pick spent 59 games in the AHL that season, scoring 16 goals, 30 assists, and 46 points before leaving for the KHL in the offseason.
Since heading over to Russia's top hockey league, Merkley has played 257 KHL games, scoring 71 goals, 66 assists, and 137 points, spanning four seasons with Shanghai, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, and Dinamo Minsk.