May 20, 2015
For the second straight day, the Flyers have signed a free agent out of Russia.
On Thursday, general manager Ron Hextall announced the addition of 25-year-old right wing Aaron Palushaj, formerly of the KHL, Russia's top league. A day earlier, the team signed defenseman Evgeni Medvedev, a 32-year-old who has never played in the NHL before.
Palushaj (5-11, 188 pounds) split last season between Medveščak Zagreb and Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg of the KHL, recording a total of 21 points (7 goals, 14 assists) in 53 games. Prior to spending the year overseas, Palushaj has appeared in 68 NHL games for the Canadiens, Avalanche and Hurricanes, tallying 14 points (3 goals, 11 assists) in just over nine minutes of ice time per game.
After being drafted by St. Louis in the second round (44th overall) of the 2007 NHL Draft, Palushaj, a Livonia, Mich. native, played two seasons at the University of Michigan before joining the Blues' American Hockey League club in Peoria, Ill. In 190 career AHL games, he recorded 136 points (54 goals, 82 assists).
Palushaj also represented the USA at the 2009 World Junior Championships, but was traded to Montreal Matt D'Agostini in March of 2010 and spent the 2010-11 season with Montreal’s AHL affiliate in Hamilton, Ontario. A year later, he was recalled and made his NHL debut with the Canadiens on March 17, 2011.
According to Sam Carchidi of The Inquirer, Palushaj will likely join the Phantoms and give them some depth at forward, although he could have a shot at making the Flyers.
Here's video of the newest Flyer scoring from his knees during Canadiens camp in 2010:
And one of him mixing it up during an outdoor AHL game:
