Fucale has been considering a move overseas for a while and will officially sign when his Capitals contract expires, per Traktor general manager Alexey Volkov.
The Washington Capitals will see one of the goaltenders in their organization head overseas, as Hershey Bears backup Zach Fucale is set to sign with the KHL's Traktor Chelyabinsk following the Calder Cup Finals, where the Bears are set to compete for their 12th league title.
Traktor general manager Alexey Volkov told Sports24 on Monday that Fucale has been looking to play overseas for a while and that Fucale believes that he can excel and take the most of the new opportunity.
"He's a qualified goaltender who has long been considering the possibility of continuing his career in the AHL," Volkov said. "Here, he wants to find a new motivation for himself to improve his level of play."
Traktor plans to officially announce the deal after Fucale's run is done and after it receives permission from Washington to announce the signing before his two-year NHL contract officially expires on July 1.
The Quebec native first signed with the team in 2020 and impressed in 11 games for Hershey in 2020-21, going 9-2 with a .932 save percentage. He earned a two-year extension and got four games up with Washington, going 1-1-1 with a .924 save percentage and a shutout in his NHL debut.
Over the last two seasons, Fucale has seen his role change with Hershey, as he went from the surefire starter to splitting the crease with rising goaltending prospect Hunter Shepard. Shepard has since taken over the reins and shown that he can be the full-time starter, and he also passed Fucale on the depth chart.
Washington's goalie pool changes now with Fucale headed overseas, as Clay Stevenson is next in line to make the full-time jump to the AHL level. Meanwhile, Mitchell Gibson, who signed with the organization
With Fucale headed overseas, Washington can see Clay Stevenson make the full-time jump up to the AHL level. Meanwhile, Garin Bjorklund, if healthy, will get his chance to show what he can do with the ECHL's South Carolina Stingrays, and Mitchell Gibson, who signed his entry-level deal with the team in April, will move up a notch on the depth chart as well.