Top Prospect Breaks Russian Contract to Sign in North America

Nikolai Kovalenko is quite the underrated prospect for the Colorado Avalanche. At 23 years old, Kovalenko is coming off of a 54-point year where he played 56 KHL games. He was near the top of KHL scoring and has fans excited for what he could do.

Today, it was announced that his KHL contract will be terminated.

While his KHL contract has been terminated, Kovalenko will play in the KHL again next year on loan.

While next year will be in the KHL, he projects nicely to the NHL level given his skillset of having elite hands and speed. He has the nickname the "Russian Tank" due to his ability to power through opponents to get to the net.

Avalanche fans have a lot to be excited about in this player who could potentially deliver star level play depending on how much he continues to develop.