“We can reach a new level with him”: Gusev returned to SKA and signed a contract for two seasons

“I am glad to be back in St. Petersburg and play with full stands”

The return of Nikita Gusev to SKA was long awaited.

The hockey player was without a team for several months, but it was obvious to almost everyone that sooner or later he would sign a contract with the Petersburgers, despite interest from other KHL clubs.

And on the first day of November, the northern capital officially announced that an agreement had been reached with the striker and that the agreement was signed before the end of the 2023/24 season.

He himself explained the protracted pause by studying other options for continuing his career and the desire to prepare as best as possible for the regular championship of the Continental Hockey League.

“I am glad to be back in St. Petersburg and play with full stands in Ice.

We will move forward step by step and see how the situation develops... In principle, I prepared in the same way as before, I have a certain program.

There were, are and will be options in the NHL, but I chose SKA.

Looks like it's not that old yet.

Of course, I know my strengths and weaknesses.

It didn't just work that long.

I hope it will be visible.

For a long time - not for long, it happened, ”Sport-Express quotes the words of the athlete.

Meanwhile, his agent Yuri Nikolaev stressed that the striker himself wanted to return to SKA and set the condition that, first of all, negotiations were conducted with the Petersburgers.

“In the end... the hockey player's wishes came true.

Were there offers from other clubs?

Yes.

But, according to our understanding, all the teams were aware that a dialogue with them is possible only if we do not agree with SKA.

By the way, the conditions offered by them were also adequate.

Nikita underwent an in-depth medical examination, he has no health problems, he is fully prepared for the championship, ”Nikolaev noted.

How much Gusev will earn under the terms of the new contract is unknown, but, according to media reports, he will receive 40 million rubles until the end of the current season.

In turn, the head coach of the army team Roman Rotenberg noted that he wanted to agree with the ward on long-term cooperation, since he is able to take the team to a new level.

“We don’t have such a thing as the first and second links, the team is equal, that’s why we win ... With Nikita we can reach a new level, because the opponents are also working and analyzing our game.

We need variability in the majority and in equal compositions.

We need to add, and there is no limit to perfection.

Made a conscious decision.

Yes, there was a Mkhatov pause, but this is hockey ... Pauses are good for him, ”the specialist explained.

At the same time, there were various rumors about the future of the striker.

For example, it was reported about the interest in him from Lokomotiv.

And the general manager of Ak Bars, Marat Valiullin, directly stated that he would like to see Gusev in the team, but complained about the lack of opportunities for an invitation.

In parallel, the striker's agent was looking for him options in the NHL.

At the end of July, Nikolaev reported that overseas representatives were doing this.

“The agent communicates with teams in America.

I don't know how the market works there.

Therefore, I calmly train ... and wait.

I roughly understand that the latest is mid-September.

Otherwise, I won’t have time to get a work visa to fly there to the training camp, ”the hockey player himself noted.

However, with the start of the NHL regular season, it became obvious that the Russian would not get a third chance to prove himself in North America, and he had to focus on the KHL.

High level of skill and inconsistency with the team's game

Despite the fact that Gusev is one of the most technical Russian strikers, his return to SKA cannot be called a clear strengthening for the team.

On the one hand, there are many advantages to this deal.

St. Petersburg started the season with 23 victories in 25 matches and are confidently leading the standings.

Obviously, the arrival of such a master will make them even more powerful and will allow them to be considered one of the main contenders for the Gagarin Cup, which the club has not taken since 2017.

Let Nikita not have a high speed, his level should be enough to make a difference in the KHL.

For example, last season, having also joined the team in the fall after an unsuccessful stretch in Florida, he scored a total of 51 points in the regular season and playoffs for performance in 47 meetings.

And in the race of scorers of the Gagarin Cup, he took fifth place (7 goals + 9 assists), although SKA flew out in the conference final.

The striker is now diversifying the line of attack, especially since it lacks techies.

Such is only Damir Zhafyarov.

The rest take their versatility and dedication.

He is able to bring even more benefits with the return of the injured Nikolai Prokhorkin to the ranks.

In his face, the right striker will get an excellent "center" with which to interact.

Gusev will also be useful in the majority, where he will have space on the ice, and will not have to wage a tough power struggle with opponents, in which he is not very strong.

Finally, the 30-year-old hockey player must become one of the leaders of a noticeably rejuvenated team.

Yet he has rich experience of victories both at the club and international level.

With SKA, he took the Gagarin Cup, and with the Russian team - gold and silver of the Olympic Games and two bronze medals of the world championships.

Moreover, in the championship final of the 2018 Olympics with Germany, he scored a double.

The presence of an athlete with such regalia cannot but have a positive effect on the mentality of the team.

But the return of Nikita also raises many questions.

First of all, it is not entirely clear whether he will be able to integrate into the game of the current SKA.

Last season, the army team demonstrated combination hockey, and in it the smart forward felt like a fish in water.

However, in the fall, Rotenberg, according to North American trends, relied on pressure, speed, aggression in attack and high performance.

A beginner cannot boast of any of these qualities.

Other flank attackers, on the contrary, show themselves brightly, and it will be difficult for the coaching staff to cut their playing time for the sake of the star.

The already mentioned Zhafyarov scored 21 points, and in terms of the number of assists (16) he shares the leadership in the KHL with Vladimir Tkachev, teammate Alexander Nikishin and Taylor Beck.

The newcomers Marat Khairullin and Dmitry Yashkin fit in well, having scored 27 goals for two.

Regularly upset rivals and Valentin Zykov with Alexander Volkov.

In addition, it is not entirely clear what form the Olympic champion is in.

Even though he claims that he prepared well for the season, he did not go through a full-fledged training camp, but worked independently.

And he played the last official match more than six months ago - on April 14.

Summing up, it seems that SKA brought Gusev back to the roster not only to increase the variability in the attack line, but also not to allow competitors in the KHL to strengthen.

Nikita could well help the same Lokomotiv, which is in dire need of wingers, and the Petersburgers decided not to take risks, but to keep the venerable hockey player at home.

“Why would he hang out across the ocean without clear options”

According to experts interviewed by RT, the signing of an agreement with a club from the northern capital turned out to be absolutely logical.

For example, the famous coach Vladimir Yurzinov called it an ideal option for a hockey player.

“I think Gusev did everything right.

In my opinion, it is better for him now to stay in Russia and play in the KHL.

I remember him as a boy, when he started his career in the Youth Hockey League in CSKA.

Why would he hang out across the ocean, especially without having clear options and not understanding whether they would call him somewhere or not.

In SKA, he will get the opportunity to play in a strong tournament and go on the ice in a magnificent palace.

Although it is difficult to argue with the fact that he did not fully realize himself in the NHL, ”the specialist complained.

In turn, world champion Maxim Sushinsky suggested that returning to Russia was a fallback option for the striker: he was counting on leaving for North America, but he failed to agree with anyone.

“Still, Gusev is already 30 years old.

When, if not now, to make the last attempt to play overseas?

There is simply nothing else to look forward to.

Nikita wanted to sign a contract with one of the league's clubs... It is no coincidence that he did not immediately draw up an agreement with SKA.

Obviously, he was looking for options, and when he did not find anything, he returned to Russia.

If he had the KHL in the foreground, he would start the season here, ”said Sushinsky.

At the same time, he believes that, despite the missed opportunity to play in the NHL, the attacker should not have problems with motivation.

“Do you think hockey players’ eyes light up just at the sight of the NHL?

First of all, they want to win, and it is not so important where to do it.

He needs to return his name in Russia and earn money.

Of course, SKA with such a striker in the composition will be even stronger.

But I would not hand them the Gagarin Cup in advance, because the season has just begun, ”added the world champion.

And according to Yurzinov, the Olympic champion in St. Petersburg will have to re-prove his need for the coaching staff, and no one guarantees him a leading role in the attack.

“The team plays well without him, and Rotenberg has seriously updated the line-up, now there are a lot of good guys playing there.

Therefore, Nikita, despite the fact that he played for SKA quite recently, it will take time to adapt.

And it’s not at all a fact that he will 100% strengthen the team.

Still, he has been playing for two months and scored a good move.

Gusev will have to work hard, ”summed up the coach.