- Nashville signed 24-year-old center Vitali Pinchuk to a one-year, entry-level contract for 2026-27
- Pinchuk finished third in the KHL with 31 goals and tied for sixth with 66 points last season for Dinamo Minsk
- Read below for video of his goals, the announcement, and how the Belarusian fits Barry Trotz’s final summer in Nashville
The Nashville Predators got their guy.
Barry Trotz, in what could be one of his last big moves before stepping aside as general manager, signed 24-year-old center Vitali Pinchuk to a one-year, entry-level contract for the 2026-27 season on Monday afternoon.
Pinchuk has been one of the most coveted KHL free agents on the market for months. He finished third in the league this past season with 31 goals and tied for sixth with 66 points, doing it in just 65 games for Dinamo Minsk. Only 10 KHL skaters in total produced at a point-per-game pace.
The Belarusian then paced his team in the postseason with seven points (2g-5a) in eight games, helping Minsk reach the second round.
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Pinchuk’s choice came down to the Predators and the Los Angeles Kings, with the Vancouver Canucks also said to be in the mix. Reports earlier this spring had nearly every NHL team kicking the tires on his agent, Dan Milstein.
His path to the league wasn’t typical. Pinchuk went undrafted, played one OHL season with the Kingston Frontenacs in 2019-20, and then went home to win three straight Belarusian Extraleague titles with Metallurg Zhlobin before settling in as a full-time KHL star.
Three KHL All-Star selections later, the 6-foot-3 center is finally headed to North America. Here’s what he looks like with the puck on his stick:
Nashville missed the 2026 playoffs and is staring down a lot of change at the top, with Trotz having already opened a search for his replacement. Adding a 30-goal scorer on a low-risk one-year deal is a smart bet either way. If Pinchuk produces, Nashville has a bargain. If he doesn’t, both sides walk away in the summer of 2027.
Trotz gets to leave another mark on the franchise on his way out the door. Pinchuk gets his shot. The team’s release notes 18 multi-point outings last season, including a four-point night and his first career hat trick.
Both sides liked the fit enough to wave off most of the league.
