Yegor Rykov – The Latest Russian Ranger

HC Sochi

On Monday, the New York Rangers announced the signing of Yegor Rykov and with that, it is official. If all six Russians (Georgiev, Shestyorkin, Rykov, Kravtsov, Buchnevich, and Namestnikov) play in the NHL this season, it will the most since 2002-03 when the Rangers had Pavel Bure, Darius Kasparaitis, Alexei Kovalev, Roman Lyashenko, Vladimir Malakhov and Boris Mironov on the team.

But what can we expect from Yegor Rykov? What type of player is he? Rykov is a solid two-way defenseman who is good in his own zone and is capable of moving the puck up the ice. He is not afraid to take risks and plays an aggressive style of hockey which relies on his skating ability. On the defensive side, his gap control is probably his strongest asset. He often reads the play so well that he prevents zone entries and forces turnovers. Rykov’s ability to play both the left and right side makes him a great addition to the Rangers blue line. And with spots up for grabs, he will have a good chance to secure a spot on the team.

European Assignment Clause

Rykov’s entry-level contract includes a European Assignment Clause (EAC), just like Igor Shestyorkin and Vitali Kravtsov. For Rykov, the EAC is only for the second year of the contract. There have been a lot of questions regarding this on social media, so here is a short explanation as to what the clause means:

  • The European Assignment Clause is temporary, just for the season
  • If activated, the contract isn’t terminated
  • Only the player can activate the clause
  • Once the season in Europe ends, the player returns to the team for the remainder of the contract
  • The contract does not slide when the clause is activated

Rykov’s entry-level contract is a two-year deal, as he is 22 on the day of signing, in accordance with CBA article 9.1(b)

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