Shipachyov Steps Away from NHL, Russia Looms Next

Vadim Shipachyov’s NHL chapter is closing, and that usually means the real chessboard shifts to where the money and opportunity are waiting. The veteran center never really got the long runway some imports need to settle in, and this move puts his next step squarely back in play. For a player with his track record, the league’s loss is another market’s gain, and the business side of hockey is doing what it always does when the fit gets shaky.