The Calgary Flames capped off a very busy trade season with one final transaction on trade deadline day.
The Flames will give the Sharks their fifth round pick in the 2024 draft in return. The Flames own two picks in the fifth round of 2024, their own pick and the Chicago Blackhawks’ pick. The conditions of the trade indicate that the Sharks will receive the higher of the two picks.
Who is Nikita Okhotiuk
Okhotiuk is a 23-year-old left-shot Russia defenseman. He stands at 6’1″ and weighs in at 194lbs. He was originally drafted 62nd overall in the second round of the 2019 NHL draft by the New Jersey Devils, and went to the San Jose Sharks in the trade for Timo Meier last year.
A shutdown defenseman, Okhotiuk started his North American career in the OHL with the Ottawa 67s, and has played pro games in the AHL and NHL the past few years.
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | P | PIM | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | Ottawa 67’s | OHL | 53 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 71 | 12 |
| 2018-19 | Ottawa 67’s | OHL | 56 | 2 | 15 | 17 | 43 | 30 |
| 2019-20 | Ottawa 67’s | OHL | 39 | 3 | 16 | 19 | 35 | 30 |
| 2020-21 | Binghamton Devils | AHL | 28 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 36 | -9 |
| 2021-22 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -2 |
| Utica Comets | AHL | 63 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 68 | 10 | |
| 2022-23 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Utica Comets | AHL | 20 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 33 | 0 | |
| 2023-24 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 43 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 44 | -22 |
| San Jose Barracuda | AHL | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -4 |
Russian movement in Calgary
The Flames have now brought in a slew of Russian players. Their Russian scouts are clearly being listened to by management, and hopefully this is a sign of good things to come. Ivan Demidov is a top prospect in the 2024 draft, perhaps the Flames have him in their sights.
