Avangard’s general manager, Alexey Sopin, has stated that the club is not interested in Dynamo forward Maxim Comtois and also addressed speculation linking CSKA’s Denis Guryanov to the team. Sopin indicated that roster changes may be necessary but stressed that no concrete talks have taken place regarding Comtois.
“I believe we may see some trades in building the team, possibly painful ones. That’s just hockey life,” Sopin said. “As for Max Comtois, those are just rumors. There have been no substantive discussions. We talked with Guy Boucher and the coaching staff, and we feel he probably wouldn’t fit into our group.”
Regarding Denis Guryanov, Sopin was cautious: “It’s not fair to discuss players under contract with other clubs. It’s hard to comment, and it would be inappropriate.”
When asked about the league’s decision to prohibit contract terminations exceeding one year, Sopin confirmed Avangard voted in favor. “We support all new regulations and the league in every way. This isn’t about changes in the rules—it’s about wanting to be stronger and better. If a trade is needed to improve, we will make it. It’s more about progress than regulations.”
