Avangard, SKA and HC Sochi: 3-team trade

Avangard, SKA and HC Sochi Hockey Clubs have made a three-team trade. Goalie Mikhail Berdin joins our team and will be signed to a two-year contract.

Forward Denis Vengryzhanovsky moved to HC Sochi. Goalie Nikita Podlyagin and defenseman Timur Kol moved to SKA in exchange for monetary compensation. On June 1, SKA will also gain sport rights of forward Yegor Privalov.

Last season, Berdin played 50 games for Sochi, had 16 wins, 91.1 saves percentage and stopped 1774 shots on goal.

Anton Kuryanov, Avangard General Manager:

- In order for a 68-game regular season to be smooth and consistent, the workload should be wisely distributed among goalies. Goalies’ performance is of top importance in the playoffs; elimination games require netminders to be fully prepared, both physically and mentally. With Berdin joining the team, we get healthy competition among our goalie group for being the starter. He is a skilled and experienced player who knows how to manage the pressure. He is used to facing many shots per night and has gone through some tough games. And most importantly, Mikhail is extremely motivated to show his best qualities with Avangard.