Goaltender Lars Johansson has signed a one-year contract with CSKA Moscow in the KHL, reports Aivis Kalnins. The move ends Johansson’s time as a member of the Blackhawks’ organization after one year.
Johansson was brought in by the Blackhawks last year for goaltending depth. He ended up spending the vast majority of the season with the Rockford IceHogs in the AHL, although he briefly was recalled to Chicago as a backup due to an injury to Corey Crawford.
Scott Darling manned the net in Crawford’s absence, however, so Johansson never appeared in an NHL game.
Johansson posted a .907 save percentage and 2.75 goals allowed average in 39 games with the IceHogs. He lost playing time over the course of the season, however, eventually yielding the starting gig to journeyman Jeff Glass.
Once the Blackhawks re-signed Glass, traded for Anton Forsberg, and signed Jean-Francois Berube in free agency, it became apparent that Johansson would be out of the mix. The Hawks also gave up rights to Mac Carruth, whose game never came together with the organization.