Nikita Tryamkin will not be heading back to the NHL this summer after all.

The 25-year-old defenceman signed a one-year deal with the Avtomobilist Ekaterinburg on Thursday, extending his stay in the KHL to a fourth season since departing the Vancouver Canucks.

The move comes three months after Tryamkin's agent, Todd Diamond, told Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province that he has been in communication with Canucks general manager Jim Benning regarding a return to the team.

Diamond: Too risky for Tryamkin to keep waiting; will see about 21-22 season

Todd Diamond, the agent for NIkita Tryamkin, says waiting longer for a Canucks deal became too risky for Tryamkin, who needed to know where he was playing. Diamond says a tight cap obviously was a factor, Nikita is disappointed because he wanted to come back, but a return for 2021-22 could happen

A third-round pick of the Canucks in 2014, Tryamkin first joined the team once the KHL season concluded in 2015 and posted one goal and two points in 13 games. He appeared in 66 games the following season, posting two goals and nine points before electing to return to the KHL after missing the playoffs under then-head coach Willie Desjardins. 

Tryamkin finished the KHL season with two goals and 11 points in 58 games with Avtomobilist this season, adding two assists in five playoff games. He had a career-high nine goals and 25 points in 51 games upon returning to the KHL in 2017-18.