Report: Former Canucks winger Jannik Hansen to play next season in Russia

Aug 1 2018, 11:39 pm

Jannik Hansen will play next season in Russia, according to Russian news outlet Championat, as the former Vancouver Canucks winger is set to sign a contract with CSKA Moscow of the KHL.

It’s been a quick fall from grace for Hansen, who was traded for Nikolay Goldobin at the NHL trade deadline 17 months ago.

Hansen’s career took a turn for the worse after being dealt to the San Jose. He was a key contributor for the Canucks at the time, playing regularly on the team’s two lines. The Sharks had high hopes for Hansen, immediately placing him on a line with Joe Thornton, but he soon found his way into Head Coach Peter DeBoer’s doghouse.

Now 32, Hansen is only two years removed from scoring 22 goals in 67 games with the Canucks, but found it difficult to get into the lineup with the Sharks last season.

The Danish winger had just two goals and 12 assists in 46 games in 2017-18, and didn’t see any action in the playoffs.

An unrestricted free agent, it appears finding an NHL gig proved difficult this summer.

In CSKA Moscow, Hansen’s heading to one of the top teams in the KHL. They finished with the second-best record in the league last regular season, with an appearance in the championship final.

Hansen is the latest member of the Canucks’ 2011 Stanley Cup finalist team to leave the NHL, joining Henrik and Daniel Sedin, along with Alex Burrows, who all retired this offseason.

Just six players from that team currently have NHL contracts, while Kevin Bieksa’s NHL future is unclear as an unsigned free agent.

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