Former San Jose Sharks forward Kevin Labanc looks set for another year in Russia, with reports suggesting he’s closing in on a deal with Ak Bars Kazan for the upcoming season.

Labanc spent last year overseas with the Shanghai Dragons under former NHL coach Gerard Gallant, and it ended up being a pretty productive year. The 30-year-old winger put up 15 goals and 34 points in 55 games, finding his offence again after a difficult final stretch in the NHL that included a short stint with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Kazan is coming off a tough loss in the Gagarin Cup Final and has been looking to add scoring depth heading into next season. Labanc was originally linked to Salavat Yulaev Ufa earlier in the spring, but those talks fell through, and Kazan looks to have stepped in and gotten a one-year deal done.

He brings over 500 NHL games of experience and, at this point, is probably viewed as a steady offensive piece who can help a contender push a little deeper than last year.

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