The Boston Bruins are reportedly losing yet another valuable piece once drafted by the franchise. It seems as though Russian prospect, Alexander Khokhlachev, is headed home to the KHL.
According to reports, the 22-year-old Khokhlachev has signed a contract with SKA St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League – which will become official once his entry-level contract with the Bruins runs out on June 30.
Originally, Khokhlachev was a second-round pick of the Bruins in 2011. Since then, he’s racked up 193 points (81g-112a) in 152 games in the OHL with the Windsor Spitfires, 171 points (61g-110a) in 197 regular season games with the AHL’s Providence Bruins and zero points in nine games played with the Bruins.
Apparently unhappy with his situation within the franchise, having played just five games with the Bruins in 2015-16, Khokhlachev is looking for another opportunity. Even prior to the season, Khokhlachev’s disappointment was made known.
Koko: "I wait for my chance already 2 years, so I’m still waiting. They should make decision, give me the chance, or I don’t know."
— Amalie Benjamin (@AmalieBenjamin) September 19, 2015
“According to sources close to Khokhlachev, the last straw came when the Bruins signed a European free agent – 28-year-old Finnish center Joonas Kemppainen – before last season and gave him more than four months to prove himself at the NHL level,” writes Joe Haggerty of CSN New England. “It was the kind of audition that Khokhlachev never felt like he received during his time in the Bruins organization, despite posting 59 goals and 168 points over the last three years in the AHL.”
The unfortunate part for the Bruins is that they will once again lose what was once seen as a valuable asset without any sort of return.
