NHL Saturday: Stars sink Minnesota

TSN’s Darren Dreger reported Klesla’s parting words on Saturday night.

Klesla has played in just 25 games with the Coyotes this season, as the organization has kept him down in the AHL with the Portland Pirates for most of the year. Apparently getting traded twice in one season and jettisoned between the minors and the NHL can take a toll on a person. Who knew?

Kuznetsov has spent the last five seasons playing in the KHL for Traktor Chelyabinsk, even after he was drafted in the first round by Washington in 2010. His contract with Chelyabinsk finally expired on April 30. Reports circulated over the last two weeks that he was on his way to North America, but the Capitals declined to confirm anything.

According to NHL and KHL agreements, the NHL must have proof that a player has no contract in the KHL before he is allowed to sign a deal with an NHL club. Washington apparently received that proof this week, and now Kuznetsov is signed for two years.