As the NHL lockout drags on, our thirst for hockey will take us across many nations and into the Kontinental Hockey League. Possibly the most significant and quality hockey league outside of North America, the KHL is currently housing several dozen exiled NHL stars that have no league to play in.

While the natural assumption is that the NHL players would dominate in the “lower level” KHL, the going has been tough for some. The quality of play is reported by many current and former NHL players to be on par with the league that is currently locked out.

Let’s take a look at the top NHL players in the KHL and see how they are faring.

Evgeni Malkin-After winning almost every individual award possible in the NHL last year, Pittsburgh Penguin center Evgeni Malkin has picked up where he left off. The leading NHL sorer in the KHL, Malkin has lit up the scoreboard for Metallurg Magnitogorsk with eight goals and 20 assists in only 18 games.

Ilya Kovalchuk-Hired as a mercenary for SKA St. Petersburg, Ilya Kovalchuk was immediately named captain. The New Jersey Devil’s sniper has certainly not disappointed in his homeland potting nine goals and 17 helpers for 26 points in only 16 games.

Pavel Datsyuk-The Detroit Red Wings center currently dekes for CSKA Moscow along with current KHL scoring leader (and former Nashville Predator)Alexander Radulov. Through 15 games Datsyuk has six goals and 13 assists for the KHL West Division’s fourth place team.

Alexander Ovechkin-The outspoken Russian winger has been the most outspoken of his countrymen in his return home to play for Dynamo Moscow. Calling the NHL owners “clowns” was the latest shot fired from the Washington Capital who has hinted that he may stay in the KHL. Ovechkin has been a point per game player for Dynamo with six goals and eight assists in 14 games.

Evgeny Kuznetsov-Ovechkin’s potential teammate of the future if they both ever come to the NHL, or come back in Ovechkin’s case, is Evgeny Kuznetsov. Regarded by many pundits as the top prospect in the world Kuznetsov has balked at playing in North America since being drafted in 2010. He currently plays for  Traktor Chelyabinsk and continues to make Capital’s scouts drool with his play. Through 21 games Kuznetsov has nine goals and 13 assists. OK, so he technically doesn’t play in the NHL, but he could and definitely should.