A byproduct of the NHL being in full lockout mode, Detroit Red Wings star Pavel Datsyuk has opted to sign with his former Russian team, AK Bars Kazan, as reported by Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.
Datsyuk has been planning a move back to the KHL in the wake of a lockout for a while now, but obviously was forced to wait until the official deadline for a new CBA had actually passed. Due to the influx of American talent heading overseas to leagues big and small around the world, the KHL made an interesting decision to allow each of its 20 Russian teams to add up to three locked-out NHL players.
Along with Datsyuk, a majority of other Red Wings players have also been exploring overseas options with a black cloud currently hovering over the league. In addition to 25-year-old defender Jakub Kindl likely heading to the Czech Republic, Swedish defenseman Jonathan Ericsson is rumored to be close to returning home to a lesser tier Swedish club team according to Winging It In Motown.
Stay with this StoryStream for more Red Wings updates during the lockout, and be sure to check out Winging It In Motown for more Red Wings news. Also head over to SB Nation's NHL hub for more coverage from around the league.