It appears defenseman Andrei Markov won't be back in the NHL this year, despite trying very hard over the summer to land a contract for one more season. According to the KHL's HC Lokomotiv, they have signed the 40-year-old to a "trial contract."

Markov and his agent put the word out several times over the last offseason that he wanted to return, and Markov stated his preference was to come back to the Montreal Canadiens, the only NHL team he's ever played for. However, Habs GM Marc Bergevin made in clear in early September that the team wasn't interested.

“Two years ago, his contract was due, we made an offer,” Bergevin told Marc Denis of RDS. “Efforts were made to sign it and he chose another direction that was the KHL. It was two years ago. Since that time, things have changed, the player has aged. The organization has changed direction. We have a lot of young people growing up... We really want to give our young people a chance.”

Markov played two seasons with Ak Bars Kazan of the NHL after leaving the Canadiens. He won the league's Gagarin Cup with the team in 2018.

It would appear that the trial contract with HC Lokomotiv means Markov and his agent realize there are no takers for his services in the NHL, and it's unlikely he'll ever get the chance to return now, given his age and the league's affinity for young, dynamic players. Nonetheless, Markov has had an impressive career in North America. While never hoisting the Stanley Cup, he played 990 NHL games over 16 seasons, scoring 119 goals and 572 points.