The last two seasons have been tough for goaltender Hunter Shepard, who has gone from an elite AHL starter to more of a depth piece. Now, he has decided to try his hand overseas as Barys Astana of the KHL recently announced that they’ve signed him to a one-year contract.
The 30-year-old was undrafted but signed with Washington’s farm team in 2020, upgrading to an NHL contract the following year. While he didn’t see much action with the Capitals, he was a key contributor for the Bears, winning a pair of Calder Cup titles, a playoff MVP, and a Goalie of the Year award between 2022-23 and 2023-24. But things didn’t go as well in 2024-25, leading Shepard to go to Ottawa in free agency last summer.
Last season wasn’t exactly smooth either. While Shepard did make one NHL appearance, he had a very limited role with AHL Belleville to the point of being a third-string option. He was dealt to Montreal after the trade deadline to serve as extra insurance with AHL Laval but again played somewhat sparingly.
His overall season numbers saw him post a 3.42 GAA with a .887 SV% in 19 appearances, considerably down from his career line of 2.38 and .910, respectively, in 137 outings across six seasons.
Evidently, opportunities to stay in the AHL weren’t materializing, resulting in a pivot to play overseas. Shepard replaces former Dallas prospect Adam Scheel as their import netminder but playing time might not be abundant either as two of Astana’s three goalies from last season are returning. Still, he’ll likely be hoping that a strong showing in the KHL could get him back on the radar to return to North America next summer.