Former Vancouver Canucks Forward Off to Hot Start Overseas: Potential NHL Return Next Summer?
Photo credit: Sportsnet
A former Vancouver Canucks forward is off to a hot start overseas, with many wondering if he's thinking about a return to North America, and potentially the NHL, next summer.
While training camps are just getting underway in North America's professional hockey leagues, the 2025-26 campaign is in full swing elsewhere across the globe, including Europe and the KHL, with the latter almost a month into their new season.
This season, the KHL will be home to several former Vancouver Canucks, one of whom is Daniel Sprong who signed a one-year deal with CSKA Moscow in the offseason and is already off great start overseas, registering eight points in his first nine games.
Elsewhere around the KHL, there's another former Vancouver Canuck to keep an eye on as a potential candidate to return to North America as early as the 2026-27 season.
Former Vancouver Canuck lighting up the KHL, possible NHL return next summer?
After a whirlwind of a summer which included having his contract terminated by Salavat Yulaev Ufa just months after being named KHL MVP for an impressive 49-goal & 80-point campaign in 2024-25, former Vancouver Canucks forward Josh Leivo is off to an incredible start with his new club.
Just days after having his contract terminated by Salavat Yulaev Ufa, Traktor Chelyabinsk - who reached the Gagarin Cup Final last season - swooped in and signed Josh Leivo for the 2025-26 campaign.
"As has already been said, if a player of Joshua Leivo's caliber enters the market, the club needs to react immediately. Over the past two seasons in the KHL, this forward has become a real star of the League, breaking what seemed to be Sergei Mozyakin's eternal record and winning the MVP title at the end of the 2024/25 regular season. It can be said without a shadow of a doubt that Josh is a real scoring machine and an ideal tip for any attack. His shot can be called elite, he is the first violin in the majority and, as they say now, makes the difference. He is a dominant master who feels comfortable against any opponent and any defensive line. We are confident that Leivo will quickly adapt to our friendly team and will write his name in the glorious history of Traktor." Traktor Chelyabinsk GM Alexey Volkov said.
Entering action on Saturday, as mentioned by Sportsnet Stats on X, the Innisfil, Ontario native is tied for the KHL lead in points with 11 (four goals, seven assists) through seven games and could've even been higher than that if he wasn't suspended for two games by the league for missing the season-ending awards ceremony back in May.
"Ontario native & former NHLer Josh Leivo led the KHL in points last season with 80 in 62 games (49 G, 31 A).
He is currently tied with a KHL-high 11 points through 7 games this season (4 G, 7 A)." Sportsnet Stats said.
He is currently tied with a KHL-high 11 points through 7 games this season (4 G, 7 A)." Sportsnet Stats said.
If Josh Levio is able to sustain this level of play, as he did last season, there's no doubt that some National Hockey League clubs could come calling next summer as he becomes a free agent.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 27 | 734 ANSWERS Former Vancouver Canucks Forward Off to Hot Start Overseas: Potential NHL Return Next Summer? Will Josh Leivo return to the National Hockey League next summer? | ||
| Yes | 161 | 21.9 % |
| No | 573 | 78.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
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