According to a tweet from James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now earlier this week, the Devils’ development camp had veteran winger Nikita Gusev skating. Gusev is reportedly trying to return to the NHL for next season, so that wasn’t just some random alumnus dropping by, according to Championat’s Dmitry Storozhev.
This is not the first time the 31-year-old has competed at the highest level; his first two years were considerably more successful. After being acquired from Vegas, Gusev returned to New Jersey for the 2019–20 season and had a respectable debut, appearing in 66 games while averaging just under fifteen minutes of ice time per game. He scored thirteen goals and added thirty-one assists. Nevertheless, the next year, he had a disastrous performance, with only two goals and three assists in twenty games, leading to the Devils terminating his contract at the end of the season. After that, he joined the Gators and scored five more points in his final eleven games.
Gusev signed with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL for the 2021-22 season after returning to the league after failing to secure a good market during free agency. After two seasons at SKA, his contract was dissolved, and he moved to Dynamo Moscow for the 2023–24 season. During his time there, he averaged slightly more than a point per game. Gusev enjoyed a breakout season with them, appearing in all 68 games and finishing first in the league in assists (66) and points (89). Then he went on to score 10 points in nine playoff games. This is his second season leading the KHL in scoring; his first was in 2018–19, the season before he made his NHL debut.
This rumour that Gusev is looking for another opportunity in the NHL would explain why he hasn’t signed a new agreement yet, even though he has received offers to stay with Dynamo Moscow or join other KHL sides.
Gusev will likely not be able to command $4.5M AAV like he did last time, given his NHL tenure ended a couple years ago and the fact that several teams have made significant roster moves this summer. Nevertheless, Gusev might be an attractive acquisition for a club in the near future if they are seeking to inject their lineup with offensive inventiveness and his asking price is more reasonable.
