Maxim Shalunov rejects NHL offer.

The will he, won't he, drama that surrounds Kontinental Hockey League forward Maxim Shalunov will continue for at least another year, and at this point I think it is safe to wonder whether or not he will ever play in the National Hockey League.

Chicago Blackhawks insider Scott Powers reported on Sunday that the long time NHL prospect has once again agreed to a new deal in the KHL, this time a three year contract believed to be with Hockey Club Lokomotiv, also known as Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. This means that once again Shalunov will not be coming to the NHL this season in spite of the fact that many have expected him to join the Chicago Blackhawks, the team that drafted him in the 4th round (109th overall) of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, for several seasons now.

According to Powers, Shalunov will have an out in his contract beginning next year that will allow him to break the agreement should he receive an NHL offer, but given that he will turn 29 this season it is starting to look less and less likely that we will ever see him play in the NHL. Making the matter all the more complicated is the fact that Shalunov does not appear to be willing to play for just any NHL team, understandable given that he has spent the majority of his career in the KHL playing for one of the league's premier organizations in CSKA Moscow.

Powers reported on Sunday that Shalunov had in fact received at least one offer from a team in the NHL to play in the 2021 - 2022 regular season, but according to Powers the Russian born forward was simply not interested in playing for the franchise that made him the offer. Without knowing how many teams Shalunov would be willing to play for it is impossible to predict how likely an eventual NHL debut is, but it certainly won't be increasing his chances.

As for the Blackhawks, it is believed that the team had neither the space on their roster, nor the salary cap space, to make Shalunov an offer this offseason.

The 28 year old winger had 18 goals and 17 assists for a combined 35 points in 52 games for CSKA this season and finished the campaign with a plus minus rating of +20.