Top Red Wings Prospect Traded

The chances of the Detroit Red Wings getting prospect Dmitri Buchelnikov to North America in time for next season took a hit on Wednesday.

Buchelnikov is on the move again in the KHL. The right winger was dealt by Vityaz to CSKA Moscow for an undisclosed sum of cash.

The player Detroit was choosing 52nd overall in the 2022 NHL entry draft has one year left on his KHL contract. With recent news that the Vityaz club has lost Russian energy company Gaszprom as its main sponsor, word was that team was on the brink of folding.

Dimitri Buchelnikov(2nd round’22) has been traded to CSKA #LGRW pic.twitter.com/GZHIZ5BTm1

— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) June 11, 2025

Should the club cease to exist, then all players under contract to Vityaz would have become unrestricted free agents. Buchelnikov would’ve then been freed up to sign with the Red Wings.

Instead, it’s likely he’ll be honoring the last year of his KHL contract playing for CSKA Moscow.

Red Wings Pick Coming Off Career Year

Last summer, Buchelnikov was also on the move. His club SKA St. Petersburg was trading him to Vityaz in a deal that was also involving former Red Wings player Dmytro Timashov. He’d spent the previous season on loan to Admiral, a team situated in Vladivostok.

With Vityaz, Buchelnikov was enjoying his best season in the KHL. He wound up leading the team  in scoring with 15-39-54 totals from 65 games. His assist totals were establishing a new club single-season mark. The speedy winger also wound up winning the fastest skater competition at the KHL All-Star Game.

Nice bucket, Dima 👷

Dmitry Buchelnikov won the fastest skater challenge (13.737 seconds)!#KHLAllStar pic.twitter.com/HTxlaHcAka

— KHL (@khl_eng) February 8, 2025

The Red Wings draftee will be playing for his fourth KHL club over the past three seasons. Buchelnikov spent the start of the 2023-24 campaign with SKA St. Petersburg. In 130 KHL games, he’s accounted for 29 goals and 56 assists.

Another sign that the Vityaz club my be done came Wednesday when Buchelnikov’s linemate Derek Barach signed with Metallurg of the KHL. Buchelnikov credits his American teammate for teaching him to speak English.