Netminder Amir Miftakhov is headed back to Russia after spending a year in the AHL. According to a league announcement, Miftakhov has signed a two-year deal with the KHL’s Shanghai Dragons.
Miftakhov, 26, was taken with the 186th overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning. At the time, Miftakhov was playing for the VHL’s Bars Kazan, managing an 8-10-3 record in 23 games with a .913 SV% and 2.19 GAA.
He also played for Team Russia at the IIHF U20 World Junior Championships that season, registering a 2-2-0 record in five games with a .919 SV% and 2.12 GAA, including one shutout.
He spent one more year in Russia before transitioning to the North American professional circuit for the 2021-22 campaign. Split between the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch and ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears, Miftakhov’s rookie season in the western hemisphere was less than ideal.
He finished with a 7-8-4 record with a .891 SV% and 3.03 GAA in 22 games for the Crunch. It went better in the ECHL, albeit with far fewer games played.
Instead of completing his entry-level contract with the Lightning, Miftakhov chose to return to Russia for the next season. He then spent three years playing for AK Bars Kazan in the KHL, particularly excelling during the 2024-25 season.
On the heels of his productive season, Miftakhov joined the Carolina Hurricanes for the 2025-26 campaign on a one-year, two-way deal.
He spent the entire season with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, playing in a backup role to veteran Cayden Primeau. Miftakhov finished with a 12-8-7 record in 28 games with a .888 SV% and 3.25 GAA.
Additionally, he played in four postseason contests for the Wolves, winning two of them and sporting a .926 SV%.