Report: Alexander Romanov received two-year contract offer from CSKA Moscow

UPDATE:

Per Kevin Kurz of The Athletic, Alexander Romanov and his wife are now in Miami. Earlier in the day, Romanov's agent, Daniel Milstein would not comment on whether his client was still in Russia. This follows the report Sunday that his former KHL team, CSKA Moscow had offered Ramonov a two-year contract with the uncertainty about Russian players being able to return to North America as a backdrop.

Andrew Zadarnowski of Habs Eyes on the Pride reported late Sunday that newly acquired Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov received a two-year contract offer from CSKA Moscow that would equate to a base salary just shy of $1M (60M rubles per year).

Zadarnowski was quick to add that an offer from the Islanders could easily exceed those figures in both term and salary. Further, the news report out of Russia might be a negotiating tactic and leverage against Lou Lamoriello and the Islanders. Good luck with that.

The added layer to this is recent reports that CSKA and other Russian players could face issues returning to North America as Stefen Rosner detailed last week.

“The Army owns the rights to many young players who are now playing abroad," a source told inidependent Russian newspaper The Insider. "If they don’t officially resolve the issue with the military enlistment office, then such players as Egor Afanasyev, Artem Grushnikov, Ilya Sorokin, Denis Guryanov, and Dmitry Samorukov could face the same problems that Ivan Fedotov did."

Romanov played two seasons with CKSA Moscow from 2018-2020. In his first season, he was the youngest skater in the KHL, and his playing time was limited. Romanov averaged only 12 minutes of ice-time those two seasons and registered just 1G and 10A in 86 games in the Russian professional league. On the national level, faired much better and was named Russia's Best Defenseman at the 2019 World Junior Championships.

Romanov is a 10.2(c) restricted free agent with no arbitration rights and is ineligible for an offer sheet. This offer from CSKA Moscow is likely the only potential leverage when negotiating a new contract with the Islanders.