McPhee: Shipachyov demotion not about performance

George McPhee says Vadim Shipachyov's status has nothing to do with what the prized KHL import is, or isn't, doing on the ice.

On Monday, the Vegas Golden Knights general manager attempted to explain the reasoning behind his decision to send Shipachyov down to the AHL's Chicago Wolves before the season opener.

Shipachyov and his agent were upset and didn't initially understand the reasoning for the demotion, but they were reassured that "this is a roster move and it's not about performance," McPhee told NHL.com's Nick Cotsonika.

The Russian forward reported to Chicago but then flew back to Las Vegas to be with his wife, because neither of them speak English, according to Cotsonika, who adds that Shipachyov is now working out on his own in Nevada and isn't expected to play for the Wolves.

His demotion came as a surprise because McPhee signed him to a two-year, $9-million deal back in May, but Shipachyov wasn't the only player expected to crack the NHL roster who was ultimately sent down.

Like the 30-year-old, youngsters Alex Tuch and Shea Theodore were also demoted because all three could be assigned to the AHL without having to go through waivers.

Vegas came away from the expansion draft with a surplus of defensemen, and McPhee has made no secret of the fact that he's trying to facilitate trades to rectify his unbalanced roster.