Reports from a Russian sports site said Evgeny Kuznetsov could terminate his contract with the Carolina Hurricanes to head to the KHL, although an agent said it's too early to discuss.
After changing NHL clubs for the first time in his career this past season, Evgeny Kuznetsov could reportedly terminate his contract with the Carolina Hurricanes to sign a four-year deal with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL.
The 2018 Stanley Cup champion and two-time all-star has one year remaining on the contract he originally signed with the Washington Capitals, which carries an annual value of $7.8 million.
The contract could be announced if or when Kuznetsov and the Hurricanes close their business, per Russian sports publication Championat.com.
However, Russian player agent Shumi Babaev told the publication that although there is interest from St. Petersburg in signing Kuznetsov, nothing is official yet.
In Russian, Babaev said it's too early to talk about a return to his home country and that it's not clear why this report arose since he's under contract with the Hurricanes for another year. That said, Babaev added St. Petersburg and other teams said they were ready to talk about a contract if Kuznetsov chose to return to the KHL, where he played five seasons for hometown Chelyabinsk before being drafted 26th overall by the Washington Capitals in 2010.
Babaev of Shumi Babaev Agency represents current NHL players Yegor Chinakhov and Egor Zamula. Newport Sports Management currently represents Kuznetsov.
In his 11 years in the NHL, Kuznetsov's earned a reputation as one of the NHL’s premier playmakers and a player exuding raw talent. He's tallied 575 points in 743 games, mostly with the Capitals.
Kuznetsov became an offensive force after breaking into the NHL in the 2013-14 campaign, forming a deadly one-two punch with center Nicklas Backstrom.
In 2017, he signed a massive eight-year, $62.4-million contract that few observers believed would age poorly as he entered his thirties.
In the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs, Kuznetsov led all players with 32 points en route to Washington’s first-ever championship. It was the most points recorded in a single post-season at the time since Evgeni Malkin’s 36 points in 2009.
His iconic bird celebration, which he memorably showed off after scoring the series-winner in the second round against the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2018, ruffled many feathers in the NHL and is a testament to his flamboyant nature.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhMgEbmMpPY[/embed]
After winning the Cup, Kuznetsov's point totals began to vary in later seasons. He recorded just 55 points in 81 games in 2022-23 after getting 78 points the season prior.
The offensive decline continued into 2023-24 when Kuznetsov managed just 17 points in 43 games for the Capitals.
After the 2024 all-star break, Kuznetsov entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program and, upon being cleared to return, was waived and assigned to the AHL’s Hershey Bears.
On March 8, Kuznetsov was traded to Carolina for a 2025 third-round pick and half of his salary retained.
Although his surface stats might not show it, Kuznetsov fit in well with the Hurricanes as they wrapped up a dominant regular season and headed into the playoffs as a Stanley Cup favorite.
He put up just seven points in 20 regular-season games but was used in the middle of the lineup as a support player, where he thrived. In the playoffs, he turned his game up to another notch, posting four goals and two assists in 10 games.
Arguably his most memorable moment in a Canes uniform came in Game 5 of the Hurricanes’ first-round matchup against the New York Islanders when he beat goaltender Ilya Sorokin with his trademark “Kuzy Crawl” on a penalty shot attempt. Carolina won the series in five games but eventually lost in the second round to the New York Rangers in six games.
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