Report: 2-time Stanley Cup winner Slava Voynov eyeing NHL return

Former Los Angeles Kings defenseman Slava Voynov has made it clear he'd like to return to the NHL, multiple sources told Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman on Tuesday.

Voynov was arrested for a domestic assault incident in October 2014 and has not played in the NHL since. He pleaded no-contest to a misdemeanor charge of corporal injury to a spouse and served two months in jail. He returned to Russia and has spent the last three years playing in the KHL.

The 28-year-old has an expungement hearing scheduled for July 2 in a California court to remove the no-contest plea from his record. If that request is granted, he will have no criminal record and can then apply for reinstatement into the NHL. It's worth noting that he has had a U.S. Visitors' Visa for at least a year, according to Friedman.

Prior to the domestic assault incident, Voynov was an anchor on the Kings' blue line, helping them win two Stanley Cups. He has continued his strong play overseas, winning a Gagarin Cup with SKA St. Petersburg in 2016-17 and helping the Olympic Athletes from Russia capture gold at the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang.

As a right-handed shooting rearguard, Voynov would surely help any team that's willing to overlook his past and deal with the ensuing controversy attached to such an acquisition.

Even though the Kings terminated Voynov's six-year, $25-million contract, they still hold his rights, so any team that wants to acquire him would have to make a deal with Los Angeles.

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