It was the right move, and played out just as a few of us said it probably would, after all of this started a few weeks ago.
I’m sure he’s also learned a valuable lesson, on being a professional, and what’s expected from you every night. We can assume, nobody will be questioning his effort again, and as long as he has a strong season in Sochi, he’ll be welcomed back at SKA after the season.
As for Sochi, he should get important minutes, but he’ll have to earn those too. We can assume SKA is confident that will happen, as there’s nowhere near the same competition there.
As for the Flyers, they’re probably happy, but might have preferred if he was sent down to the VHL for 2 or 3 months, and seeing him slotted in at C during that time. It would’ve allowed him to start developing that ability to create space in traffic, he will need to play in the NHL. It’s going to be his biggest issue if he ends up coming over.
Whatever the case. He should be happy as a player, as long as he gets those important minutes in Sochi.
One interesting side note in all of this?
Buchelnikov, opting against his own loan to Sochi recently, choosing instead to be sent to the VHL, knowing his KHL games this year would be for SKA, probably just had the number of those KHL games with SKA rise sharply as a 19 year old.. It’s almost as if he had been told something was coming…
So when it comes to a roster spot with SKA he’s the winner in all of this, after a great start in the VHL.
Personally I would’ve liked to see both of them sent to Sochi together, but it would now probably be a shock if Buchelnikov is sent on loan too. This move probably adds an extra 10-20 KHL games for him this season now. He’s a little bit ahead of Michkov when it comes to being NHL ready, becaue he has played a lot of C growing up, and does do the little things to create space, like peeling off of defenders, etc, but there’s actually a lot of people who believe he has no intentions of EVER playing in the NHL. At least anytime soon, which sucks for Detroit obviously.