Sporting Director of the Moscow Hockey ClubDynamo » Alexei Sopin says , can the striker Eric O’Dell return to the Whites-Blues.
O’Dell has played for Dynamo the past two seasons. In May, the 33-year-old Canadian became an unrestricted free agent. Last season, the forward played 41 regular season and KHL playoff games, scored 38 points (21 goals and 17 assists).
“What’s the situation with O’Dell?”
O’Dell is a free agent now. And everything will depend on the limit of foreigners. We have three people, we will not take the fourth legionnaire. But our defender Brennan Menell is now in the process of getting Russian citizenship. If everything works out in time, we will consider the possibility of attracting an additional foreigner. Well, Eric will be among the candidates.
I understand O’Dell hasn’t signed a contract with anyone yet and is on hold.
– I heard that he wants more than 100 million rubles per season. Are Russian clubs ready to give so much money to foreigners?
– Probably, there are teams in the KHL who can give this money. The thing is, there is a cap on the salary cap and there are budgeting issues. As I said, we have a certain price range at Dynamo. And it’s not just a question of money. We don’t want to see an imbalance in the locker room where one player earns 10 million a year and another 100. It would spoil the mood of the team.
We are in contact with Eric and his agent. But we still have to get to the signing of the contract. It all depends on Menell. It’s not so easy – went and became a citizen of Russia. And we won’t leave with four foreigners, it’s 100%.
If all goes well, then O’Dell will sign a contract with us for a perfectly adequate sum in terms of value for money. And I know he has better offers from other KHL clubs,” Sopin told .
O’Dell is an Olympic bronze medalist and a silver medalist at the World Championships with Team Canada. The hockey player also played in the KHL for Sochi, Magnitogorsk Metallurg and Novosibirsk Siberia.
Source : MatchTV
I’m Emma Smith, a dedicated journalist and avid storyteller. I have been writing for news websites for the past 5 years, reporting on hockey news and delivering in-depth analysis of the sport. In my current role as Author at Athletistic, I write about hockey events from around the world to keep followers up-to-date with what’s happening in the sport.
