Emelin in Russia for the start of the KHL season; Hartnell still has no deal

Apparently, every other NHL general manager would have done the same thing David Poile did.

The Nashville Predators’ personnel boss decided there were only two players from last season’s NHL roster that he did not want back in 2018-19, forward Scott Hartnell and defenseman Alexei Emelin.

With the start of NHL training camps at hand, neither player has landed with another NHL team.

Hartnell remains unsigned. The 36-year-old did not rule out the possibility that he would extend his career when he was told Nashville would not offer him a new contract. For now, though, he is the second-best free agent still on the market (he also is the oldest among the top 15), according to TSN.ca.

Emelin is certain not to play in the NHL this season — or for the foreseeable future. The 32-year-old has returned to his native Russia, where he will play with Avangard. He signed a three-year contract, according to that league’s official Twitter page on Saturday.

The KHL season began over the weekend and Emelin’s team is 2-0-0, although he has yet to play a game.

The 6-foot-2, 218-pounder spent all or parts of four seasons in the KHL (2008-11, 2012-13) early in his professional career, all with Kazan Ak-Bars.

Since 2013-14, he had been a full-time NHL player. He has appeared in at least 59 games each of the last five seasons, including 72 or more each of the last three. He tied his career-high with 76 appearances in 2017-18, his one season with the Predators. He finished with one goal and eight assists and was fourth among all Nashville defensemen in total ice time.

Apparently, though, no team in the NHL saw enough from him to think he could help them. So it is possible that the NHL has seen the last of him — and he might not be the only one.