After Evgeny Kuznetsov left the Carolina Hurricanes, what could the team do with the cap space? And there are rumors out of Belarus about Flyers prospect Alexei Kolosov.
Evgeny Kuznetsov and the Carolina Hurricanes agreed to terminate his contract earlier this week after 11 years in the NHL. The 32-year-old center is returning to Russia, where he's expected to join KHL St. Petersburg.
Kuznetsov is walking away from the final season of his contract. It carried a $7.8-million cap hit divided between the Hurricanes and the Washington Capitals as part of the trade that sent him to Carolina in March. The termination frees $3.9 million from each club's salary-cap payroll for 2024-25.
The Hockey News' Adam Proteau observed that Kuznetsov's departure increased the Hurricanes' cap space to $15.5 million. Their subsequent signing of Jack Drury to a two-year deal with a $1.75 million average annual value leaves them with $13.9 million and 21 active roster players under contract.
Martin Necas and Seth Jarvis remain unsigned. Necas is completing a two-year contract worth $3 million per season and filed for salary arbitration on July 5. Jarvis, meanwhile, is coming off his entry-level deal. Both players will seek significant raises.
Necas has been a hot topic of trade speculation since the Hurricanes' playoff elimination in May. Nevertheless, there's no indication that he's close to being moved. Some observers believe the Hurricanes could retain him following the departures of scoring forwards Jake Guentzel and Teuvo Teravainen.
Proteau suggests Kuznetsov's contract termination allows the Hurricanes to re-sign Necas and Jarvis and leave enough room to boost their lineup.
Top prospect Alexander Nikishin would be a suitable option if he were available. The 22-year-old St. Petersburg defensemen led all KHL blueliners last season with 56 points and a league-leading plus-minus of plus-32.
Nikishin would bolster a Hurricanes blueline depleted by Brady Skjei's and Brett Pesce's departures. However, he has a year remaining on his contract with St. Petersburg, and it's unlikely they'll let him jump to the NHL this season.
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Flyers are enduring some off-season intrigue regarding one of their goaltending prospects.
The Hockey News' Siobhan Nolan cited reports out of Belarus claiming Alexei Kolosov wants to return to his former KHL club Dinamo Minsk, asking them to help terminate his contract with the Flyers.
Kolosov, 22, joined the Flyers last March to pursue an NHL career, playing two games with their AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley. Reports soon emerged claiming the young netminder was homesick and struggling to adjust to North American life.
The story took an interesting turn earlier this month when Kolosov did not report to the Flyers' prospect development camp, sparking rumors about his absence. However, they still expect him to honor his contract and report to their rookie and main training camps.
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