Evgeny Kuznetsov 2023-24 Exit Interview The Carolina Hurricanes announced today that they have placed Russian center Evgeny Kuznetsov on unconditional waivers for the purpose of contract termination. The decision, which is reportedly mutual, will free up both Carolina and Washington completely of Kuznetsov's $3.9 million cap hit, although Kuznetsov did receive a $2 million signing bonus at the start of the month. "Ultimately both sides agreed this was the best course of action for both the player and the team," said Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky to team reporter Walt Ruff. "We thank Evgeny for his time with the team and wish him and his family the best." The Russian forward will reportedly be returning to Russia to play in the KHL. The Hurricanes acquired the 32-year-old center at last season's trade deadline for a third-round pick. Kuznetsov went on to have two goals and seven points in 20 regular season games and four goals and six points in 10 postseason games. However, the fit just never seemed right between the two sides as the Russian saw himself fall to the 4C position playing under 11 minutes per game. Despite that, Kuznetsov brought a fresh perspective to Carolina and quite a few memorable moments as well.
