Gatiyatulin Won't Rule Out Trade Talk on Khmelevski
Ak Bars coach Anvar Gatiyatulin declines to address trade rumors around Alexander Khmelevski, saying the club is still seeking the best role for the winger.
Anvar Gatiyatulin says Ak Bars are still looking for the right role for Alexander Khmelevski, and will not be drawn on transfer talk around the forward.
Khmelevski, 27, has 1 (0+1) point through 8 games this season, with a plus-3 rating. It did not work in practice: the trio spent too much time defending in their own zone and too little with sustained control in the attacking end.
That led to a mid-season switch to the wing, alongside Kirill Semyonov and Nathan Todd, where Gatiyatulin rates his form as strong. This season Khmelevski has started on a new line, with Katelevsky and Pustozerov, and the coaching staff are watching how that combination develops. Gatiyatulin says Khmelevski is taking on some defensive responsibility there, but stresses that getting the puck out of the defensive zone cleanly matters as much as what happens once it arrives in the attacking third.
Gatiyatulin left the door open to further changes to the lines, and did not rule out using Khmelevski at centre again, even after settling on the wing as his more effective spot last season.
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