Sergei Fedorov is back

"We are in a very difficult situation, with so many of our players injured, and that’s why the coaching staff approached me and let me train with the team," he said. "Physically, I feel fine, but training is one thing; playing in official games is quite another."

It’s unclear when Fedorov will make his season debut but it will be sooner rather than later. However, it appears as though Fedorov will be suiting up on the blue line rather than in his usual center position.

"Defense is where we have the most injury problems, so I played at the back to help with training, and I did all the exercises defenders do."

A contract has not yet officially been signed, but when it’s made official, Fedorov will put in a no-trade clause to make sure he remains with CSKA. As for a salary, he said he’d like to play "for a ruble," but like any professional league, there is a minimum salary which is likely what Fedorov will make, while adding that he isn’t interested in adding bonuses into his contract.

Fedorov last played professional hockey for Magnitogorsk Metallurg in the 2011-12 KHL season. In three years with the club he had 73 points (22 goals) in 141 games. Over the course of his NHL career with Detroit, Anaheim Columbus and Washington, he recorded 1179 points in 1248 games. He scored 483 NHL goals. Fedorov began his professional career with CSKA in 1986 and stayed with the club for four seasons before entering the NHL draft in 1989.

Fedorov says there are suitable replacements for his GM job so that he can focus solely on the ice. 

"Sitting in the office all day is not exactly fascinating. It’s not boring, exactly, but the ice beckons. We have assembled a good management team at the club. If I go out onto the ice, then I have able replacements, such as Ildar Mukhometov, Almaz Garifullin and Alexander Kharlamov. I can always count on them to cover for me."

The biggest question however, is how long Fedorov will play for.

"I thought about it many times. I've always seen myself more as a player than as a manager or organizer, but now, when we have so many players injured, it was time to think seriously about how to resume training with the first team. Even before that, I was training twice a week for two hours, but that was mostly to stay healthy. It would make no sense to play just one or two games but I’ll need to see how my body reacts."

KHL League News:

For the October 8th-14th period, the following players were named players of the week:

Best goaltender was Curtis Sanford (Lokomotiv), who recorded three shutouts in four games, a goals against average of 0.24 and a save percentage of 99.17.

Best defenseman was Evgeny Medvedev (Ak Bars), who took 3 points (1+2) from three road games and earned a +3 for the week.

Best forward was Danis Zaripov (Metallurg Magnitogorsk), with 8 points (5+3) from four outings.

Best rookie was Medvescak forward Patrick Bjorkstrand who finished the week with 4 points (2+2) in four appearances.

More CSKA related news, as the team has signed Danil Markov to a one-year deal. Markov spent nine years in the NHL with Toronto, Phoenix, Carolina, Philadelphia, Nashville and Detroit where recorded 147 points in 538 games. He returned to the KHL in 2008. He had remained unsigned as the season begun but with CSKA injury woes, the club have snapped him up.

"I’m in good form … I hope I’ll be useful to the team, where a lot of my friends are already playing," he said of his return to CSKA where he finished out the 2012-13 season.

CSKA have also acquired the KHL rights to Dmitry Orlov and Ivan Telegin from Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Both players are currently state side; Orlov is in the Washington Captials system, while Telegin is part of the Winnipeg Jets association. Orlov made his NHL debut last season but was re-assigned to Hershey to begin this season. Telegin on the other hand refused an assignment to St. John so his status is up in the air. Despite the trade, neither player appears interested in a return to the KHL.

"I don’t think about it," Orlov said of returning to Russia. "I’m still a young player and want to start playing here. I haven’t proven anything to myself or anybody else."

Tweets by @eurohockey