It appears former Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov, who was drafted by the team in 2010, may have played his last NHL game. In March, Capitals traded him at the deadline to the Carolina Hurricanes. Ultimately per championat.com, Kuznetsov is set to sign a four year deal with SKA Saint Petersburg to forefit his final year on his contract with the Hurricanes.
Per https://t.co/QgAZ3NffoH Evgeni Kuznetsov is set to sign a 4-year contract with SKA as soon as he terminates his agreement with the Hurricanes #CauseChaos #Canes
— Daria Tuboltseva (@DariaTuboltseva) July 15, 2024
Kuznetsov and the Capitals tried to make it work last season but it just ultimately didn't work out. Whatever conspiracy you want to say, the connection between coach and player just wasn't there. There also seemed to be a distraction before the season began when there was a controversial interview last summer.
Salary cap help?
The Capitals are likely to get some cap relief once this is officially official. In the deal to Carolina, the Caps retained 50 percent of Kuznetsov's salary so he was set to cost both teams $3.9 million after the massive payday he signed back in 2017.
Kuznetsov was drafted 26th overall in the 2010 NHL Draft and came on board from the KHL to the NHL in the 2013-14 season. He played for parts of those five seasons with Traktor Chelyabinsk. SKA acquired Kuznetsov's rights during that 2017 pay day but the center stuck with the Caps and it was a good thing he did.
Kuznetsov suited up for a total of 723 regular season games in a Caps sweater and scored 171 goals and added 397 assists for 568 points. In the playoffs he was a different breed as he recorded 29 goals and 38 assists for 67 points in 87 playoff games. That includes 12 goals and 20 assists for 32 points in the Stanley Cup run.
And at the parade Kuznetsov delivered one of the best speeches you'll hear on the National Mall with some language NSFW. Either way, he gave a lot to the Capitals and we wish him the best over in the KHL.