Why did Ak Bars let Todd go and what to expect from Shipachyov in Ufa? KHL transfer guide

Did Salavat Yulaev hit the jackpot by signing Vadim Shipachyov?

39-year-old Vadim Shipachyov continues to be a top-tier center forward despite his age. When it became known that the forward would spend the next season in Salavat Yulaev, Ufa captain Grigory Panin immediately responded ironically on social media: “Now we'll play together! The two of us are only 79 years old combined. Let's make some noise.”

Shipachyov's decision to play for Salavat Yulaev indeed came as a surprise to many KHL fans. Nevertheless, the forward's departure from Minsk Dynamo was already foreseeable after their elimination by Ak Bars in the second round. It was obvious that a major rebuild would take place in the “bison” camp after a disastrous playoff run. And when the team was left by head coach Dmitry Kvartalnov, those players who had initially come to Dynamo for the former coach began packing their bags as well.

According to several sources, Vadim Shipachyov's camp themselves approached the Ufa club with an offer to sign the player. The veteran forward, at the twilight of his career, wanted to work with Viktor Kozlov, one of the most promising Russian coaches in the KHL in recent years. In general, Salavat Yulaev is currently perceived by most league players as a very interesting project, largely due to Kozlov's personality. The Ufa coach commands great authority among both foreign players and domestic stars. Moreover, Kozlov has repeatedly proven how effectively he can work with young, rapidly developing players, thereby not depending on a large salary budget.

Over the past season, Salavat Yulaev's financial situation has certainly improved. The team has practically cleared its debt obligations. However, the club from the capital of Bashkortostan could not match Shipachyov's Minsk salary. In the end, the forward's side made concessions. In the coming season, Shipachyov will earn about 30–35 million rubles in Ufa.

Can it be said that Salavat Yulaev pulled off a very profitable deal in early June? Definitely. First, despite his considerable age, Shipachyov continues to be one of the most consistent centers in the KHL, averaging no less than 40 points in the regular season. Second, Shipachyov's arrival will help the development of Salavat Yulaev's talented youth. Ufa has plenty of young prospects: Alexander Zharovsky, Maxim Kuznetsov, and Yegor Suchkov. Shipachyov will be Kozlov's right hand in communicating with young players, who will only benefit from interacting and working with a legendary KHL player.

Joshua Leivo made his way to Omsk from Chelyabinsk

Avangard, true to itself, has been stirring up the transfer window since the very beginning of the offseason. Omsk's general manager Alexei Sopin has proven himself, since his time with Moscow Dynamo, as an ambitious specialist with an amazing executive intuition. Season after season, Avangard manages to assemble a team for the start of the regular season with numerous star names on the roster.

Recently, Avangard announced on social media that they had reached an agreement with 33-year-old forward Joshua Leivo. The Canadian forward has been playing in the KHL since 2023. The past season, the forward played for Traktor. In the regular season, Leivo was one of Chelyabinsk's main stars with 65 points in 62 games. However, in the playoffs, the Canadian, like the entire Traktor team, showed nothing particularly effective or outstanding.

Leivo's high reputation, earned during his time with Salavat Yulaev, allowed him to secure a contract worth 70 million rubles per season. Interestingly, the North American's base salary will be only 20 million rubles. Leivo will receive the rest of his fee through promotional integration (a new regulation in the KHL starting from the 2026/27 season). Avangard is probably the first club to openly use this option. Although it is possible that CSKA also referred to this clause in the regulations when dealing with Marat Khairullin.

Joshua Leivo is a significant reinforcement for Avangard. The player fits perfectly into Guy Boucher's system, who clearly knows the Canadian well from his time in the NHL. The big forward is good in physical battles, and there's no need to say much about Leivo's shot. While playing for Salavat Yulaev, Joshua broke Sergei Mozyakin's seemingly eternal sniper record two years ago. In the 2023/24 regular season, Leivo scored 49 goals.

The only downside to the Canadian forward is his rather difficult character. But a subtle psychologist like Guy Boucher is unlikely to have problems working with Leivo. After all, such skilled players, despite principles, should not be neglected. Especially since with his goal-scoring instinct, Joshua will definitely be one of Avangard's key options on the power play.

Ak Bars did not fight with Metallurg over Todd

The Kazan club remains almost the only “top-tier” organization in the KHL sleeping soundly on the transfer market by the end of the first week of June. On the one hand, Ak Bars' management is understandable. After all, Marat Valiullin now first needs to deal with the pile of expiring contracts of several key players. On the other hand, Ak Bars' inertia in the market could play a cruel joke, as the most star-studded unrestricted free agents in the KHL are being snapped up like hotcakes. By missing out on the best Russian players, Kazan will only be left to focus on the North American market for foreign players. And bringing in imports from the AHL is always a big risk.

One of the first players to leave Ak Bars due to contract expiration was Nathan Todd. The Canadian joined the club in January this year, coming through a trade from Spartak. Todd immediately established himself in Ak Bars' top-six forwards and was a system-forming element of the Kazan club's second line in the playoffs. The forward's versatility, excellent shot, and bright hockey mind brought many points to the Khmelevsky — Semyonov — Todd line in the most important clashes of the season. Therefore, it is logical that Kazan initially wanted to keep the forward on the team.

Another question is that Ak Bars could not offer the Canadian sky-high numbers in the contract either. Under the new agreement, Todd planned to earn over 100 million rubles in net salary in the capital of Tatarstan. Kazan was ready to give the forward about 80 million rubles, which did not satisfy the player's side.

This is where Metallurg stepped in, offering Nathan Todd a contract with a salary of approximately 120 million rubles, including bonuses. This deal makes the Canadian one of the highest-paid players in the league.

Why did Metallurg make concessions to the player? It's quite clear — the Ural coach Andrei Razin was personally interested in Todd. Plus, with Roman Kantserov's departure to Chicago, Metallurg had a problem with centers. Todd will easily fill the missing position in Metallurg.