The Vancouver Canucks lost a pair of defenceman to the Kontinental Hockey League Thursday morning as Nikita Tryamkin will return to Yekaterinburg Automobilist next season while Philip Larsen signed a two-year contract with Salavat Yulaev.

The 6-7, 265 pound Tryamkin did an interview with Russian reporters and mentioned he wasn't all that happy about his playing time under head coach Willie Desjardins.

"During the season, I was not happy with some of the matches," he said via a Google translation in The Province.. "Sometimes I just do not understand – why?"

He said he goal was to play more with his new team in the KHL.

'"Getting decent playing time. But not for 12 minutes in the game to come out. This I do not want," he explained. "I have experienced these feelings. When you do, I would not get pleasure from the game and (instead) just sit, look and realize that there's nothing you can do.

"And you just want to enjoy hockey, play as much as possible, try to benefit first and foremost, the team."

The Canucks said they offered the young defenceman a two-year extension in a statement released later Thursday. 

"We are disappointed Nikita chose to sign in the KHL, but also recognize from what he told us in our exit meetings that this was a family decision first," said general manager Jim Benning in the statement. "He has a chance to be an impact player in the NHL and we offered him a two-year extension. But for now he is home and we will move ahead with building this team with other young players."

The 22-year-old Tryamkin scored two goals and added seven assists over 66 games with the Canucks in 2016-17, his first full season in Vancouver. The Russian also put up a minus-7 ranking. 

Tryamkin signed a two-year entry level contract in March of 2016 and appeared in 13 games last season to finish off the year.

Tryamkin played with Yekaterinburg Automobilist for four seasons from 2012 to 2016 prior to joining the Canucks.

Vancouver selected him in the third-round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

Larsen, 27, scored once and added five helpers over 26 games in Vancouver this season, his first with the club. Vancouver signed the native of Denmark to one-year, $1.025 million contract on July 1 last summer.

The Canucks finished last in the Pacific Division with 69 points and will be in contention to win the Draft Lottery.