Toronto Maple Leafs centre Mikhail Grabovski has signed with HC CSKA Moscow of the KHL, reported The Fourth Period magazine’s David Pagnotta Monday morning.
CSKA has officially signed Maple Leafs center Mikhail Grabovski. He joins Datsyuk & Bryzgalov.
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) September 24, 2012
The 28-year-old Belarussian played three seasons in the Russian Superleague, the KHL’s predecessor, from 2003-04 to 2005-06, before joining the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens, the team that drafted him 150th overall. In 153 RSL games, a young Grabovski scored 81 points.
Grabovski, an alternate captain with the Leafs, has scored at least 20 goals and 50 points in each of his last two NHL seasons. Toronto signed the forward to a five-year, $27.5-million deal last March before he could become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
After issuing a strongly worded denial last week, #KHL‘s CSKA officially announced today the signing of #Leafs Mikhail Grabovski.
— Dmitry Chesnokov (@dchesnokov) September 25, 2012
Both CSKA and Grabovski had denied reports last week that he had agreed to sign with the club, which has added Detroit Red Wings playmaker Pavel Datsyuk and Phildelphia Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov.
Datsyuk made his CSKA debut Monday.