The Tampa Bay Lightning’s seventh round selection in the 2021 NHL Draft is making an impact for Dynamo Moscow in the Russian Kontinental Hockey League.
Daniil Pylenkov’s offensive production has exploded for Dynamo Moscow so far this season, as the 25-year-old defenseman broke a franchise record on Thursday. Pylenkov recorded his 38th assist of the season, the most by a Dynamo Moscow defenseman in the history of the club.
The Lightning still retain Pylenkov’s rights even though he has yet to sign an NHL contract to this point. He signed a two-year extension with his KHL team back in May, which will keep him in Russia through the 2026-27 season at the very least.
If Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois is able to convince Pylenkov to make the jump to North America following his current contract, the defender could certainly bring some offense to the blue line, however it’s far from a guarantee that he’d be successful, as many players do struggle to adapt to the NHL after a long stint in the KHL.
This season, Pylenkov has also scored seven goals for a total of 45 points in 56 games with Dynamo.