Arizona Coyotes claim Blackhawks' Viktor Tikhonov off waivers

Viktor Tikhonov will no longer be calling Chicago home after the Arizona Coyotes claimed him off waivers Sunday, reports Craig Morgan of Fox Sports and Arizona Sports.

Tikhonov, 27, was placed on waivers by the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday after failing to score a point in 11 games this season. He only skated in three games in November and last played against Calgary on the Circus Trip.

He was signed by the Hawks to a one-year, $1.04 million deal during the summer. The Russian won the Gagarin Cup with Artemi Panarin on SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL last season. He had eight goals and 16 assists in 49 regular-season games and added a goal and an assist in 15 postseason games for SKA during their championship run.

Tikhonov was drafted 28th overall by the Coyotes in the 2008 NHL Draft after playing for Severstal Cherepovets of the KHL. He signed a three-year contract with the Coyotes in July of that year. He would play in 61 games and record eight goals and 16 points before he was assigned to their AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage.

The Russian winger started the 2009-10 season in the AHL with the Rampage and played 18 games before taking a loan with Severstal. Signing with the Blackhawks over the summer was his big move at finally sticking in the NHL, so we'll see if that ends up happening now in Arizona where it all started.