Flames place prospect Dmitry Zavgorodniy on waivers to terminate contract

The Calgary Flames have placed prospect Dmitry Zavgorodniy on termination waivers, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

A 21-year-old right shot winger originally from Omsk, Russia, Zavgorodniy was drafted by the Flames in the seventh round of the 2018 NHL Draft and is currently in the second year of his entry level deal.

Zavgorodniy’s representative declined comment when reached by FlamesNation.

A speedy winger who played in the QMJHL with Rimouski as an import and put up good numbers, Zavgorodniy just hasn’t adjusted to North American pro hockey as well as anybody had hoped. He’s amassed just one goal and five points in 41 games with Stockton across two seasons: he was a frequently healthy scratch with the Heat, and when he did slot in he was often used on the team’s fourth line. (He also spent part of 2021-22 with Sochi in the KHL, but his loan was cut short when the KHL season was ended early.)

Zavgorodniy spent two seasons under two head coaches in AHL purgatory as a healthy scratch. With his spot in the organizational pecking order likely cemented at this point, terminating his contract opens up a spot for the Flames under their 50 contract limit and gives Zavgorodniy a fresh start somewhere else – whether in North America or Europe.