With no NHL team to join for the season, former Montreal Canadiens defenceman Andrei Markov has signed a trial contract with the KHL's HC Lokomotiv.

Markov spent 16 seasons with the Canadiens, but couldn't agree on a new contract with the team in 2017, opting to return to Russia to play in the KHL with Ak Bars Kazan. He told The Montreal Gazette in August that he wanted to make a return to the NHL with Montreal as his first choice. 

Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin, however, told RDS in September that he was not interested in bringing Markov - who is 10 games away from reaching 1,000 in the NHL - back to the team.

“Two years ago, his contract was due, we made an offer,” said Bergevin. “Efforts were made to sign it and he chose another direction that was KHL. It was two years ago.

“Since that time, things have changed. The player has aged. The organization has changed direction. We have a lot of young people growing up. I will name them. (Noah) Juulsen, (Victor) Mete, (Josh) Brook … (Alexander) Romanov, who will be here in a year. We really want to give our young people a chance.”

Over the past two seasons with Ak Bars, Markov posted 47 points in 104 games, winning the league's Gagarin Cup in 2018.

Markov was drafted in the sixth-round (162nd overall) by Montreal in 1998. and recorded 119 goals and 572 points in 990 games.