Except Svoboda was Czechoslovakian a rival of the Soviet Union.Russians have long memories. This comes from on high and is because of us whisking Petr Svoboda from behind the Iron Curtain during Cold War days. This is pay back.
He won't. Flyers did it in the summer after one year of contract. We are already in the middle of the season. He won't try to bring him now. Sadly, we will only see him next year.We can't. But it's Russia.
IIRC, Michkov's agent is the one who fronted the money in buying out his contract, probably through his agency.
Hughes, as an ex-agent, might just have the pull to make it happen.