Magnus Paajarvi and Griffin Reinhart, both first round selections in their respective NHL entry drafts, have signed with teams in the Russian-based KHL. Paajarvi, who sometimes goes by Paajarvi-Svensson, has signed a two-year deal with HC Lokomotiv, while Reinhart has a one-year, two-way deal Kunlun Red Star.
Paajarvi, 28, was drafted 10th overall by the Edmonton Oilers in 2009. In July of 2013 he was traded to St. Louis, along with a 2nd round pick, for David Perron. In 2018, after spending the last few seasons up and down between the AHL and NHL, he was picked up on waivers by the Ottawa Senators. Last season, he played 80 games for the Sens, scoring 11 goals and notching 19 points. He became a free agent in July of 2019 and, apparently, received no attractive offers from any team in the NHL.
Reinhart, now 25, has been the poster boy for untapped potential in the NHL over the last few years. Drafted fourth overall by the New York Islanders in 2012, he was expected to be a solid NHL defenseman. It never panned out. After just eight NHL games with the Islanders, he was traded to Edmonton in exchange for the Oilers' 2015 first-round pick (16th overall) and second-round pick (33rd overall). The Islanders selected Matthew Barzel with Edmonton's first round selection. Reinhart played 29 games with Edmonton, and was then left exposed in the 2017 expansion draft, and taken by the Vegas Golden Knights. He never managed to play in the NHL with the Knights. After two more seasons in the AHL, he became a free agent. Earlier this month, he was let go from a professional tryout (PTO) with the AHL's Belleville Senators.
Reinhart's contract being a two-way means he can be sent to Kunlan's affiliate team in the VHL (The Supreme Hockey League) if he is not working out at the KHL level, and he would be paid less money should that happen.
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