Evgeny Kuznetsov has proven to be a bargain so far, just over a week after being traded to the Carolina Hurricanes. His fresh start has brought smiles, fun and a surging second line.
The Carolina Hurricanes’ most shrewd deadline move has less to do with the Jake Guentzel blockbuster.
It has everything to do with Evgeny Kuznetsov.
After recording a career-low 0.40 points per game in 43 games with the Washington Capitals and spending some time in the NHL and NHLPA Player Assistance Program this season, Kuznetsov needed a fresh start. The Capitals tried to provide him that by placing him on waivers on March 2, but to nobody’s surprise, Kuznetsov and his $7.8-million cap hit went unclaimed.
When the Hurricanes traded a 2025 third-round round pick for Kuznetsov and 50 percent of his cap hit six days later, it made just too much sense. If any team was going to resurrect Kuznetsov — a three-time 70-plus-point scorer and 2018 Stanley Cup Champion — it was going to be Carolina, a team with a culture that’s renowned for its collective buy-in.
“We know the talent. It’s there,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour told reporters when the Hurricanes acquired Kuznetsov. “A motivated player, sometimes that’s what you need. That’s what we’re banking on, is that he comes with that kind of attitude and he’s willing to do what we ask of him.”
So far, so good.
Less than two weeks into his Hurricanes tenure, Kuznetsov has recorded two goals and four points in six games. In all but one of those games, the center has lined up on the team’s second line alongside Martin Necas, with Jake Guentzel, Andrei Svechnikov and Stefan Noesen rotating in on the left wing.
And above all, the 31-year-old Russian looks happy. His fun-loving personality has been front and center since arriving in Raleigh, where he has revived his signature bird celebration and even incorporated it into the team’s storm surge.
It’s early, of course, but the Kuznetsov acquisition could become the steal of the NHL trade deadline. Unbeknownst to many, he’s exactly what Carolina has needed in their top nine.
"I understand why I'm here and why this team brought me in," Kuznetsov told reporters last week. "Not just to be the funny guy who smiles. They need us to perform, and they need us to eventually get the points and goals so we can help the team."
Dating back to their Eastern Conference final appearance last season, the biggest knack against the Hurricanes — a dominant, high-shot-volume team during 5-on-5 play — was their goal-scoring. They rank eighth in goals-for per game, but a Cup contender like Carolina can be even better in that department, with only two forwards recording more than 50 points this season.
While adding a sniper like Guentzel helps, it’s not like Carolina never had players who could score beyond Aho and Svechnikov — such as Necas, Seth Jarvis and Teuvo Teravainen. However, they lacked a high-end facilitator for their second-line wingers. Jesperi Kotkaniemi just wasn’t cutting it.
While Guentzel stacks their top line, Kuznetsov will likely continue to drive a second line alongside Svechnikov and Necas, which can be very dangerous.
Plus, Kuznetsov brings one of the most highly coveted intangibles at this time of year: playoff experience. NHL teams seek players with Stanley Cup pedigrees to bolster their roster around the trade deadline. And Kuznetsov has proven himself as a bona fide clutch player, scoring a team-high 32 points during Washington’s 2018 Cup run and totalling 67 points in 87 career playoff games.
Sure, there’s always the risk that Kuznetsov tapers off and is a liability at his $3.9-million cap hit — which expires at the end of next season — but the Hurricanes shouldn’t be too concerned. If need be, Kuznetsov’s contract can be retained up to 50 percent once more, and Carolina could use a retention spot and shop him elsewhere at a $1.95-million cap hit.
However, none of that will matter if things keep trending in this direction. Instead, we’ll discuss how the Hurricanes are paying a high-end second-line center less than $4 million a season.
Ryan Kennedy and Michael Traikos discussed Kuznetsov's comeback on The Hockey News Pre-Game Show. Check out the full episode below: