Lightning's Nikita Gusev: No immediate plans to return to North America

Gusev, a seventh-round pick in 2012, has no immediate plans to return to North America, reports the Tampa Times.

Gusev is a dynamic, small forward and a good buddy of Nikita Kucherov. The Bolts have offered him a two-way deal or an AHL-only contract at various points, but Gusev is getting top-six minutes in the KHL. He has one year left on his KHL contract and is looking to re-sign there. Strike him off the list of Bolts' prospects -- he might come over some day as a free agent, but his future seems locked to home for the foreseeable future.