Canadian Press

8/23/2006 5:02:05 PM

(CP) - While Evgeni Malkin's flight to the NHL has incensed Russian hockey officials, some NHL executives are growing hot under the collar at watching their players abandon North America for greener pastures in Russia.

Already the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders have lost three players to Russia this summer. Mark Gandler, the agent who represents those players, says Russia is an attractive option for "young, vibrant talent which is not properly treated (by NHL teams)."

Winger Eugeni Artukhin rejected Tampa's last offer and has signed on for more money in his native Russia. The same goes for Russian defenceman Denis Grebeshkov and Finnish winger Sean Bergenheim of the Islanders.

All three will earn more money this season playing for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.

"In Russia the taxes are 13 per cent, so it's relatively speaking tax-free," explained Gandler, whose firm International Sports Advisors has some 25 NHL players, half of them Russian. "They also usually have bonuses on top of everything, a free apartment, a free car, basically perks."

All three are restricted free agents in the NHL, which means the Lightning and Islanders have no legal recourse compared to Metallurg Magnitogorsk, the Russian club threatening to sue the NHL because it says Malkin is under contract with them.

The Vancouver Canucks lost backup goalie Mika Noronen to Russian league club Ak Bars Kazan earlier this month while star winger Nikolai Zherdev has also threatened to stay on in Russia this season if the Columbus Blue Jackets don't pony up.

Zherdev is the only first-line player among them. The others find themselves squeezed in the NHL's salary cap system where most of the money goes to the marquee names.

That Artukhin, Grebeshkov and Bergenheim are Gandler's clients is just a coincidence, the agent said from his New Jersey office. He vehemently denies the rumour that he was getting a cut from Russian league clubs to deliver them NHL players.

"What I have a problem with is people thinking that I would take a bona fide NHL player and place him in Russia and basically hurt him and his career for personal gain," said Gandler. "I don't deserve that after 16 years in the business."

Either way, Lightning GM Jay Feaster didn't hide his frustration in losing Artukhin.

"This is just ridiculous," said Feaster. "This is a player who finally shows that maybe he can play in the league and he was one year of NHL time under his belt and then decides he's going to go play in Russia."

Feaster offered the 23-year-old Artukhin, who had four goals and 13 assists in 72 games last season, a $600,000 US one-year and one-way deal, an upgrade on his qualifying offer which only called for a two-way deal that paid $495,000 in the NHL and $95,000 in the AHL. But Artukhin and Gandler told Feaster they wouldn't accept anything under $750,000.

"We have Ryan Craig sitting there in our locker-room, he signed a $495,000 (two-way contract) and he scored 15 goals for us last year," said Feaster. "So it's a little tough to accept that for some inexplicable reason that Artukin ought to be making $750,000." 

Gandler confirmed Feaster's version of the contract talks.

"They've negotiated in good faith and I have no problems with Jay whatsoever," said Gandler. "We have a difference of opinion on the value of the player.

"He didn't expect to play much again, which was also a factor."

Feaster intimated that in fact Artukhin was told he would have a bigger role this season.

"I had (head coach) John Tortorella talk to him about his projected role to help him understand that we're looking out for his development," said Feaster. "And he just goes and screws off to Russia."

Gandler felt the Islanders disrespected Bergenheim in contract talks.

"Just the way he was treated by the team and spoken to . . . and I have to include myself in that. Sean said to me he will never play for $500,000 in the NHL - no matter what. And that's his final decision," said Gandler. "He's making pretty good money in Russia, he's on the top line, he's treated well, and he's continuing his development."

Bergenheim, 22, had four goals and five assists in 28 games with the Islanders last season, his second in the NHL.

"We like Sean Bergenheim," said new Isles GM Garth Snow. "We offered him a one-way contract and the opportunity of a regular spot in the National Hockey League. He has played 46 NHL games over two seasons, so we feel our offer was more than fair. If Sean's decision is to play in Russia for what he feels is a better deal, that's his call. He's still a part of our future."

As for Grebeshkov, the 22-year-old wasn't offered a one-way deal.

"Denis did not want to sign a two-way deal," said Gandler. "So the Islanders have lost a first-round pick (18th overall by the Kings in 2002) because for whatever reason they decided they didn't want to pay him one-way money."

Said Snow: "Denis is a good prospect who took what he thought was a better opportunity to play at home for a year. We wish him well and hope to see him back here soon."

What does this all mean in the big picture?

"I think it's something where we're going to have to be careful about drafting players out of there," said Feaster.

Gandler says that's already happening.

"Check out this year's draft, you see any Russians in the first round? They're already scared to draft them because there's no agreement and they're not sure whether they can sign them or not."

Technically, two Russians were taken in the first round: goalie Semen Varlamov by Washington, 23rd overall, and defenceman Ivan Vishnevskiy, 27th overall by Dallas. Still, no Russians were taken in the top 20. In the 2005 entry draft? Not a single Russian in the first round. The first wasn't taken until the 70th selection.

"It is a concern globally," Feaster said when asked about Russian players staying home to play. "As I try to analyse all those situations and certainly our own, the one thing I believe is that there aren't many North American players who are going to consider that to be an attractive option, going to play in Russia. And yet for the Russian player, it often is."