Slava Voynov, a name not heard around the hockey world for quite some time, has recently risen back to the surface in the media.
Slava Voynov was once a prime defender for the Los Angeles Kings who was only destined to play top-pair minutes for his club. He was young and had plenty of playoff experience with the Kings in their prime to become one of the most quiet, but valuable defenders in the NHL.
In 2014, however, Voynov was arrested for domestic violence charges which resulted in the Russian becoming suspended from the league and spending some time in jail. Just before hearings surrounding deportation for Voynov, the defender decided to return to his home country of Russia.
From there, the now 28-year-old agreed to a contract with likely the most notable club in the KHL in SKA St. Petersburg. Voynov made himself a career in his country as a regular defender with the team as he amassed 20 goals and 40 assists in three seasons.
Voynov grabbed himself some silverware, as well. The former second-round pick in the 2008 NHL Draft won the Gagarin Cup back in the 2016/17 season, while obviously claiming Olympic gold with the Russians in the recent cycle at South Korea.
Voynov has now returned to the attention of the media with a recent story fromĀ ESPNĀ debating the chances of the right-shot defenseman coming back to the NHL. Basically, the story dives into what Voynov still has to do off-the-ice to not only return to North American ice, but to also make an appearance back in the United States.
Bill Daly toldĀ ESPNĀ some small details of the current scenario when saying the following:
"āI know his party is interested in understanding the parameters under which heād be allowed to rejoin the league.āāThere are a couple of legal hurdles that I understand still have to be passed. Until he gets past those, I donāt think weāre ready to comment on it.ā"
What Daly doesnāt mention is that the hurdles arenāt that tall for Voynov, which is quite the turn-around consideringĀ CBS Los AngelesĀ reported that Voynov would have received nine years in state prison if convicted. The story notes that the Russian has some issues to work out in the state of California while his probation expires in the month of July. At the moment, it sounds like a bit of a waiting game.
Even though things seem rather minuscule around Voynov right now, thereās an array of reasons why he should not return back to the NHL. First, and probably most obvious, is the question of which team would want to sign Voynov to even the smallest of contracts?
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Itās a sticky situation off-ice that can create turmoil for clubs on-ice. Of course, potential teammates will likely move on from the scenario and focus on the game. However, management might have some explaining to do just for inking the player.
It canāt be doubted that thoughts such as that are flowing through the minds of owners and management alike. Right off the bat, Voynov would have a hard time attracting a team to chase his signature.
Not only that, but chances are that Voynov will receive little to no playing time with any big club. A lot has changed within the NHL in four years, and Voynov will have a ton of adjusting to do in order to just keep pace. At best, Voynov would see a lot of time in the AHL if he signed in North America.
When combining his age with the lack of recent experience of the NHL, things just donāt look good for Voynov in terms of coming back. His age of 28 isnāt the biggest turn-off, but the lack of experience added to the start of the end in terms of his prime just wouldnāt be smart for an NHL team to add to such a limited spot within a lineup.
Consequences away from the game are going to continue to lurk over the head of the defender. Itās the same way for every other athlete, deservedly so. However, Voynov is one of the few who have fixed their scenario just by being where heās at now ā Russia.
Voynovās home country gives him playing time with a great club and a chance to win internationally. Itās best that Voynov remains there.
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What is your take on Voynov potentially returning to the NHL? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below.