The list of former New Jersey Devils players, including ones who were on tryouts, playing in the KHL has just gotten a bit longer.
On Wednesday, it was announced by the Shanghai Dragons of the KHL that forward Kevin Labanc had agreed to a one-year contract with the club, which comes on the heels of his release from a tryout with the Devils' division rivals, the Carolina Hurricanes.
Devils fans, of course, fondly remember Labanc as the energetic forward who flew around the ice last preseason, impressively potting six goals in four exhibition games. Much to their disappointment, though, Labanc ended up signing a contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets--another division rival--scoring two goals, 10 assists, and 12 points in 34 NHL games last season.
A number of notable former Devils are currently playing in the KHL after signing new deals overseas this offseason. Forwards Daniel Sprong and Tyce Thompson signed with CSKA Moskva and Barys Astana, respectively, while defenseman Ty Smith joined up with Belarusian outfit Dinamo Minsk.
Labanc, with his new contract, joins up with former Devils forward Nick Merkley and former Devils draft pick Nikita Popugaev on the Shanghai Dragons. Once-promising defenseman Reilly Walsh, who was teammates with Thompson in the Devils organization, is also playing for Barys these days.
Andrei Loktionov, Reid Boucher, Jean-Sebastian Dea, Joseph Blandisi, Yegor Yakovlev, Nikita Okhotiuk, and Nikita Gusev are still kicking it in the KHL, and observant Devils fans will remember that goalie Adam Scheel, who had signed a tryout last month, is playing for Barys, too.
And, who can forget about the Devils' top defense prospects, like Daniil Orlov, Anton Silayev, and Daniil Karpovich? Twenty-one-year-old Artem Barabosha is due for an opportunity in the KHL this season, too, after playing 12 games for CSKA last season.
Teams like Philadelphia and Carolina get all the credit these days for their rapidly growing Russian contingents, but the Devils have a fair bit of representation in the KHL, both with active prospects and former players. Labanc's signing on Wednesday has only made the list that much longer.