CSKA Sporting Director Denis Denisov and Head Coach Igor Nikitin summarized the club's season.
On the Season Results
We're not satisfied with the result. For CSKA, nothing matters except first place. Therefore, we will work towards this goal. Regarding our performance, we have a supervisory board, as well as our main sponsor, Rosneft, which creates all the conditions for us, and we thank them for that. We will do everything we can to achieve our goal.
On Konstantin Okulov's trade to Avangard
It's always easy to judge in hindsight. Konstantin Okulov is a player with a certain skill level. But we also understand that when players stay with one club for a long time, the level of stress and responsibility decreases. We were aware that if Kostya were to transfer to another club, things could go well for him there, and thank God for that. But for some time at CSKA, he didn't produce the level of play he's showing now. Therefore, we don't regret the trade. We're doing everything for the good of the club. All future changes are aimed at building a team that will produce results over the long term. We're working together with the coaching staff to strengthen the team.
On Nick Ebert's future
Nick joined us during the season. We have no complaints about his performance. However, given his demands for next year, we haven't found a way to meet his terms at this time. It's highly likely that Nick will seek employment with another club.
On Igor Nikitin's five-year contract
We've never regretted the length of Igor Valerievich's contract. The contract he signed is a reflection of his performance over many years. The results the coaching staff, led by Igor Valerievich, has achieved speak volumes. We have a clear understanding of where we're going, how we'll build the team, and with whom. We fully trust Igor Valerievich and his coaching staff to build the team for the long term.
On the new salary cap rules in the KHL
There was a vote on the amendments to the KHL regulations. We raised certain objections regarding the clause regarding maintaining salaries within a club's salary cap upon its termination. This means that any player who transfers from one club to another essentially receives salaries from two clubs, which is a bit incorrect. I believe the previous rules, stating that all obligations are lifted upon transfer from the previous club, were correct. In my opinion, this hinders our work.
On the trade of Kirill Dolzhenkov
When we were discussing Kirill's future, there was a definite offer for him to stay and develop with us. Kirill then said that he didn't intend to stay in Russia and was ready to leave after this season. Therefore, the decision was made to trade players.
On possible changes in the club's management
The president of the CSKA hockey club would be best placed to answer this question. As far as I can tell, no changes are planned at this time. There is confidence in both the coaching staff and myself for next season. All the work that will be and is currently being done is being done jointly, and we will be responsible for it together. It's true that the first team hasn't won a cup in three years, but CSKA is a three-time Gagarin Cup winner, and no other club has won more. I'd also like to highlight the work of the entire CSKA structure. This includes not only the first team, but also the VHL, MHL, and school teams. The Moscow Hockey Federation congratulated us on our latest first-place win in the Moscow Championship; this is a testament to the work of our entire club.
On the contract with Nikita Nesterov
Negotiations are ongoing, but they are not finished. Everything is a work in progress.
On Marat Khairullin's possible transfer to CSKA
We don't spread rumors, deny them, or respond in any way. Our press service will make an official announcement, and then you'll know everything. At this point, everyone has active contracts, and there's no point in talking about or denying anything. Khairullin is a star in our league. There's interest not only from our club, but from others as well. We'll see what happens next.
On the situation with Vladislav Kamenev
Vladislav has a fairly strong legal team. The matter is currently in limbo as they prepare their position. Hearings have not yet been scheduled. Our lawyers are in contact with Vladislav's lawyers. Together, we're trying to develop a position and defend Vlad.
On Rhett Gardner
The question is clear for one simple reason: statistics. They can't be removed; they are what they are. "To sell something unnecessary, you have to buy something unnecessary," as they said in one cartoon. I'll repeat my phrase: work is underway. If we remove a player, we need to figure out who will take his place, what his role will be, and why. Right now, he's a player under contract for next year. What happens next? How will it work? That's what a sports manager and coaching staff are for.
About Klim Kostin
Regarding Klim Kostin, I can say that we're interested. We're practically at the final stage of negotiations. Klim is an absolute professional in his work. As a person, he's a complete professional. As for his play on the ice, we need a player of size, tenacity, and assertiveness who is ready to do the job determined by the coaching staff.
About Nikita Nesterov:
I know Nikita quite well. I believe his accolades are a legacy that will stay with him for the rest of his life. But motivation is what gives an athlete a future. I think he still has that motivation, as he proved last season. It wasn't easy for him to adjust, but I personally believe in him. I'm confident he'll be a great asset to the team. My job as a coach is to find ways to help him with both motivation and longevity in hockey. He's a distinguished man; he's done a lot for CSKA, and the club has done a lot for him. Few athletes can stay with one team for a long time, winning with them, and find motivation. For him, that should be motivation—that he's a unique athlete.
On Daniel Sprong's departure
We're not revisiting the issue of Sprong's departure. We made this decision, and we stand by it. Time will tell if it was the right one. I'm confident in the guys who took the lead, confident in the strategy we chose. I see no point in regretting anything. We're not dwelling on those decisions. We chose Buchelnikov, Poltapov, and other young guys who have talent and promise, but lack experience. Experience can only be acquired in series like the one against Avangard. These are stages in the process; you can't skip them.
On whether we got the most out of the roster
If we had gotten the most out of the guys, we wouldn't be sitting at this press conference right now. We weren't able to play to our full potential in the series against Avangard. We had the potential to beat a very tough opponent, but only at our best. But the result showed that we didn't get the most out of it. This is a shortcoming of our coaching staff.
On assessing the team's progress
I'd like to compliment the guys for extricating themselves from a difficult situation when they were below the top eight. They believed in themselves, fought, and were able to prove to themselves that they were a successful team. Perhaps they didn't have enough time to take the next step. Perhaps it took a lot of effort to find their feet. It's a mixed bag, but the guys deserve credit; they did a good job.
On strengthening the roster
We want to maintain the core that has been formed. This is something we can consider positive. The challenges gave the team a chance to develop. Therefore, the goal is to maintain the core. The next step is targeted reinforcements. They won't be sweeping. It's important that the players being recruited are capable of meeting the challenges CSKA faces. The demands on new players are high.
On the failed Vitaly Abramov-Yaroslav Tsulygin trade
If Salavat hadn't pulled out, the Abramov trade would have happened by now. We're looking for a player who can meet our requirements. Vitaly hasn't had his best season. Frankly, I don't know him that well; I haven't worked with him in previous years. I see that he's unable to fulfill his potential at CSKA.
On the series between Lokomotiv and Avangard
On the one hand, I'm watching this series as a professional. I'm interested not only in this series, but also in the entire top four teams. There are no random teams that ended up there. Avangard deservedly beat us, and we need to respect that and analyze it. There are a lot of guys in Yaroslavl with whom we've been through a lot. So, I wish them the same success.
On Denis Guryanov
I'd like to see a player like Denis on my team. He knows this and has known it for a long time. So, the ball is in his court. Although, of course, I understand that he's at an age where he can dictate his terms. But that's business; that's the job of agents and management. We, as coaches, are talking, trying to convince him, and present some arguments.
We talked about this with him today. It's not just about him here, but the tandem. I think Alexander has provided, so to speak, support to Dmitry. Alexander is a very decent guy in his own right. Healthy competition is always the driving force behind any team's progress. Dmitry earned his spot through competition, but we're interested in Alexander playing like he did in his best years. He'll raise the bar even higher for Dmitry, because the goaltending unit is what gives the team the chance to make mistakes. Dmitry's progress is also thanks to Alexander.
