LATEST | Former first-round pick decides to leave the NHL at 23 years old

PUBLICATION

Cooper Godin
July 6, 2023 (2:21 PM)

SHARE THIS STORY

After spending parts of five seasons bouncing between the National Hockey League and American Hockey League, Martin Kaut has decided to leave North America.

HC Dynamo Pardubice, a team in the Czech Extraliga, announced on Thursday that they'd signed Kaut to a two-year contract.

Note: the following quote is translated from Czech.

"I am very happy that I could return to Dynamo. When it was already known that I would not be playing in America, the club contacted me, we quickly agreed and I am glad that it turned out. I know everything here, I've played here since the youth, so I'm looking forward to wearing the Pardubice jersey again," Kaut said.

The 23-year-old was selected with the 16th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft by the Colorado Avalanche. He spent parts of five seasons in the Avalanche organization before being traded to the San Jose Sharks in January of this year.

In 56 career games in the NHL with the Avalanche and Sharks, the Brno, Czechia native had 11 points (six goals, five assists), ten penalty minutes and was a minus-four.

Source: HC Dynamo Pardubice