The Carolina Hurricanes announced Wednesday they have been inserting middle Evgeny Kuznetsov on unconditional waivers for the aim of terminating his contract. Kuznetsov, 32, is reportedly heading again to the KHL in Russia after ten seasons within the NHL.
Regardless of an inconsistent profession, Kuznetsov deserves some reward for his Stanley Cup-winning efforts with the Washington Capitals — the crew that drafted him within the first spherical in 2010.
Kuznetsov spent all however just a few months of his profession in Washington, having been traded to Carolina on the 2024 deadline, posting 575 factors over 743 video games. However his most memorable rating was in 2018 to remove the rival Pittsburgh Penguins in time beyond regulation of Sport 6 within the Stanley Cup second spherical.
Kuznetsov would end second in Conn Smyth voting after Washington finally lifted the Stanley Cup in Las Vegas, scoring essentially the most factors within the playoffs that summer time. However since then he solely posted yet one more season with near-career highs in 2021-22 with 78 factors.
The Chelyabinsk, Russia native couldn’t discover constant and motivated play on the ice in current seasons and located himself a wholesome scratch for stretches and in addition suspended three video games in 2019 for “inappropriate habits.”
Kuznetsov struggled with off-ice points too. He was handed a four-year ban from worldwide competitors in 2019 for testing optimistic for cocaine and entered the NHL’s player assistance program in February to deal with his private issues.
These struggles do not outline Kuznetsov as a participant, nonetheless. The clutch objectives and flashes of brilliance he displayed for Washington warrant inclusion among the many franchise and league’s legendary annals.
Washington welcomed Kuznetsov again to Capital One Area, shortly after he was traded in March, to a deserved standing ovation and tribute.
In the course of the 2024 playoffs, Kuznetsov discovered a burst of success recording six factors in ten video games for Carolina. However he nonetheless couldn’t maintain it, winding up a wholesome scratch in an elimination recreation which might sadly be his final.
Regardless of a competitively tragic ending to what ought to have been a promising profession, Kuznetzov’s on-ice accomplishments ought to nonetheless obtain beneficiant applause from Washington followers and hockey followers alike.
