Point is people from the outside won't even realize it's not actually a handful it's 2 teams. The players they posted as being from other teams are only on that team because they actually with SKA already as offseason signings. KHL FA deadline is 1st May. Byvaltsev and Mikheev who are listed by their now former teams are actually SKA players now. And that is the only reason they are on this roster obviously taking spots away from more deserving players. Same goes for the players who remain with SKA like Kablukov and Khafizullin who are not on the NT by a long shot if they are not with SKA. On the other hand players who left SKA after this season are automatically non-invites like Belov, Kovalchuk, Voynov. It adds to the travesty that exactly those players would deserve an invitation. Very obvious pattern behind this. And I haven't even started to get worked up about my homerism grudges. Not one AkBars player on that team. Noone deserves an invitation from the Cup winning team according to coaching staff and Mr.Rotenberg.
Only real exceptions from the 2 teams rule are Koshechkin and Bereglazov, both from new headcoache's former team, Tryamkin and the very few NHLers this time while Mamin is actually no exception as he will obviously be a CSKA player next season, Buchnevich's and Dadonov's rights are owned by SKA in the KHL and Soshnikov is rumored to become a SKA player next season too. That's so many "coincidences" it's really cringeworthy.
So there are amazing 3 players on the roster whose rights don't belong to SKA or CSKA in the KHL. As mentioned no Kovalchuk, Voynov, no Tkachyov and Zaripov from AkBars, no Mozyakin who owns tons of scoring records in Russia. As for the bottom 6 and D of this team there are bunches of candidates in the KHL who would be at least debatable, but they all seem to have the same problem i.e. not being C-SKA property. And they can't cover it up by claiming they would give the youth opportunities. The 40y.o. Datsyuk is centering the top line.
I would be perfectly okay with sending a U25 team with guys like Svechnikov and Kravtsov on it, but I am not watching this weird show with SKA bottom sixers whose only achievement is being SKA players. Probably a lot of people feeling the same way. In fact many fans I know did not want more NHLers to come and bail out this C-SKA show. I was really glad WSH and TBL did make it to the next round, not that much because of their Stanley Cup goals. And even relieved Malkin won't be able to come over.