"Mikhail Berdin's employment with 'Avangard' has come to an end"
American Forward Andrew Poturalski Heads to Omsk's Avangard in KHL
Andrew Poturalski, the reigning AHL MVP and scoring champion, has announced his move to the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) with Omsk's Avangard for the 2025–26 season. This decision marks the end of Poturalski's tenure in the NHL and AHL.
Poturalski's departure from the San Jose Barracuda was made possible by the termination of the final year of his contract in May 2025. He dominated the 2024–25 AHL season, scoring 73 points in 59 games, before deciding to embark on a new challenge overseas.
However, Avangard Omsk has yet to officially announce Poturalski's signing. His registration in the KHL database is a step towards his potential signing with a KHL team, but it does not guarantee that Avangard will be the team.
Meanwhile, Avangard has parted ways with goalkeeper Mikhail Berdin. The termination of Berdin's contract freed up 45 million rubles from the club's salary budget. Berdin joined Avangard in the summer of 2024 but missed a significant portion of the 2024–25 season due to a severe injury. In the games he did play, he managed a 1.87 goals-against average and a 92.9% save percentage, winning 9 games.
The club thanked Berdin for his play and wished him success in his career. Berdin's registration in the KHL database does not imply any information about his future plans.
It is still uncertain if Poturalski will make it to Omsk. The registration of Poturalski in the KHL database does not affect the previous termination of Berdin's contract or Avangard's salary budget, as it would be a new contract.
Poturalski's potential arrival at Avangard does not yet have a specific timeline. As a newcomer to the Russian club, fans will be eagerly waiting to see how he performs on the ice.
What team will Poturalski play for in the 2025-26 season if he signs with Avangard Omsk in the KHL?
Could Poturalski potentially be a new addition to the sports of hockey in Russia next season?
