Egor Korshkov to stay in KHL for rest of season

Egor Korshkov is staying with his KHL team, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, until the end of their season, said a source close to the 24-year-old.

Lokomotiv is currently third in the KHL’s Western Conference and their last game is on February 27th, which would mean the 24-year-old may not return to Toronto until then. If Lokomotiv makes the playoffs, it’s possible that he isn’t back until the end of April. Korshkov currently leads all Lokomotiv players in scoring with 19 points in 27 games and is 30th in all of the KHL.

There were a lot of question marks regarding if the Russian winger would make the Maple Leafs, or be a part of the possible “taxi squad” when the NHL season starts. But with this news, he may not play with the Leafs at all this upcoming season.

The NHL is currently working with the NHLPA to try and have a start date of January 1st, but with the NHL’s salary deferral/escrow asks (according to Pierre Lebrun), the start date may be pushed back. If that happens, it’s possible Korshkov can return to North America in time to play with the Maple Leafs or Marlies.

There are still a lot of questions that need to be answered and hopefully in the next few weeks those problems have solutions and we can get back to hockey.