Flames sign former KHLer Nesterov to 1-year deal

The Calgary Flames signed defenseman Nikita Nesterov to a one-year, $700,000 contract, the team announced Friday.

Nesterov spent the last three seasons with CSKA Moscow of the KHL. As the club's captain in 2019-20, he finished first among its blue-liners with 23 points in 53 games.

The Tampa Bay Lightning selected Nesterov in the fifth round of the 2011 draft. He suited up in 119 regular-season games with the Bolts from 2014 to 2017 and had a brief 13-game stint with the Montreal Canadiens in 2017.

He's totaled 33 points in 132 career NHL games, primarily in a third-pairing role.

Nesterov has represented Russia on the international stage numerous times, winning a gold medal at the 2018 Olympics.

The 5-foot-11, 191-pound rearguard will likely serve a depth role on the Flames' blue line. Here's how Calgary's top six projects to shake out:

The Flames lost several defensemen in free agency: TJ Brodie, Erik Gustafsson, and Derek Forbort all signed elsewhere, and Travis Hamonic and Michael Stone remain unsigned.

Nesterov and Alex Petrovic are the team's most experienced depth options.