Aarif Deen
Just one day after trading Ross Colton to the Nashville Predators, the Colorado Avalanche are reportedly losing another depth forward from this past season. Zakhar Bardakov is returning to the KHL to play for SKA St. Petersburg.
The 25-year-old forward dressed in 60 games for the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avs, posting a goal and 10 points in the process. He did not appear in any postseason games.
Like the Colton trade, this also doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Last summer, Bardakov was often discussed by former general manager Chris MacFarland as a possible long-term option for the team’s 4C position. By the time the trade deadline had passed, he became expendable with the additions of Nic Roy and Nazem Kadri.
The Avalanche ultimately added them because they didn’t like the fit of Jack Drury at 3C, nor Bardakov as a regular. He left the KHL and joined Colorado on a one-year entry-level contract with the understanding that if things didn’t work out, a KHL return would be likely. That’s the scenario we’re seeing play out.
Drafted in the seventh round in 2021 by the New Jersey Devils, the Avalanche acquired Bardakov in 2024 in a trade that sent Kurtis MacDermid the other way. Bardakov previously spent four years with SKA St. Petersburg. He broke out in 2024-25, recording 17 goals and 35 points in 53 games.