Vitali Pinchuk, once a Kingston Frontenac, has signed in the NHL with the Nashville Predators.
It's been a while since the 2019-20 season, the one Vitali Pinchuk spent as an import with the Kingston Frontenacs.
Since then, the big Belarusian centre has gone back to the KHL, and turned into a dominant force in the league with Dinamo Minsk.
That play has led to Pinchuk becoming one of the most sought after European free agents for the 2026 NHL off-season, and he's now signed an entry-level contract with the Nashville Predators.
Vitali Pinchuk with the Kingston Frontenacs in the 2019-20 season. (Photo: Terry Wilson/OHL Images)In his OHL career, the Zhlobin, Belarus, native put up 34 (13+21) points in 54 games with Kingston, before the rest of the season was cancelled due to COVID-19.
He then went back to Belarus, rejoining the Dinamo Minsk system, where he went from mostly playing in the local or junior leagues with second teams, to finally breaking out as a first-team player for the KHL side in 2022-23.
His real emergence as a star came down the stretch into the playoffs last year, where he ended the season with 25 goals, and 11 points in 11 playoff games.
Then, this year, he really took off, scoring 66 (31+35) points in 65 games, good for sixth in the league in points, and third in goals.
With his contract overseas running down, he and agent Dan Milstein began the process of fielding North American offers, where he eventually landed with the Predators as his pick to continue his hockey career.
Since Pinchuk is 24 years old, his ELC fell into the one-year category, so his deal will run through the 2026-27 season with the Preds.
With that being said, we'll see yet another OHL alumni in the NHL next season.
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