Two days after signing with CSKA Moscow, Russian winger Egor Sokolov has been traded to Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, the CSKA club announced on Thursday.

Sokolov, 25, was traded for the KHL rights to another 25-year-old Russian winger – Nikolai Kovalenko – who is currently a free agent. Kovalenko split last season between the Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks.

Given the similar profile of the two players in this one-for-one deal, the reason the trade was made probably hinges on the possibility of each player playing in the KHL this season. Sokolov is signed while Kovalenko is not, and could possibly return to the NHL.

Kovalenko was born in Raleigh, N.C. while his father, Andrei Kovalenko, played for the Carolina Hurricanes. He grew up in Moscow and Yaroslavl, and played in 304 KHL regular-season and playoff games for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, Ak Bars Kazan and Torpedo between 2017 and 2024, recording 157 points.

In 57 NHL regular-season games over the past two seasons, Kovalenko has 20 points and 16 penalty minutes. He also played in two playoff games for Colorado in 2024, recording no points.

On Tuesday, CSKA acquired Sokolov's KHL playing rights from Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg and then signed him to a one-year contract.

Utah Prospect, Ex-Sen Egor Sokolov Signs In KHL Russian winger Egor Sokolov, 25, has signed a one-year contract with CSKA Moscow, the KHL club announced on Tuesday. According to the announcement, CSKA had earlier worked out an agreement with Avtomobilist Yetaterinberg, who had previously held Sokolov’s KHL rights.

Originally from Yekaterinburg, a city in the foothills of the Ural Mountains on the Asian side, Sokolov went overseas at age 17 to play junior hockey for the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles of the QMJHL.

Sokolov was taken by the Ottawa Senators in the second round, 61st overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. He then spent the next four seasons in the Ottawa organization, playing 13 NHL games for the Sens in which he recorded one goal, one assist and four penalty minutes.

Sokolov was traded last summer to Utah HC, now the Utah Mammoth, for Czech winger Jan Jeník. He spent the entire 2024-25 season in the AHL with the Tucson Roadrunners, where he recorded 44 points in 75 regular-season and playoff games.

Goalie Spencer Martin Signs In KHL Canadian goaltender Spencer Martin, 30, has signed a two-year contract with CSKA Moscow, the KHL club announced on Wednesday.

CSKA has been very busy over the past few days building its 2025-26 roster. In addition to the three transactions involving Sokolov, it has also signed goaltender Spencer Martin and acquired Denis Zernov from Metallurg Magnitogorsk in exchange for New York Islanders prospect Ruslan Iskhakov.

Last season, CSKA and Torpedo finished fifth and eighth, respectively, in the KHL’s Eastern Conference. Both teams were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

  Photo © Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images.

Islanders Prospect Moves In KHL Trade KHL clubs CSKA Moscow and Metallurg Magnitogorsk were involved in a one-for-one trade involving Russian forwards on Thursday, the latter club announced. Ruslan Iskhakov, 24, is headed to Magnitogorsk and 29-year-old Denis Zernov is headed west to the Russian capital.