Former Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov is choosing to remain in the KHL, and signed a one-year contract with Sibir Novosibirsk after months pondering his next move.
Kuznetsov's deal will pay a base salary of 35 million Russian rubles, the equivalent of $428,978 in the United States, and he can make up to 67 million rubles in bonuses, or $931,495 in the U.S, according to MatchTV.
The 34-year-old played last season in the KHL with both Metallurg Magnitogorsk and Salavat Yulaev Ufa, struggling with injury and inconsistency early on. However, he finished the year on a high note with 18 points in 19 games with Salavat.
According to Kuznetsov's agent Shumi Babayev, one of the biggest factors in him signing with Sibir was his conversation with the coaching staff and the organization's faith in him to make an impact.
"Maybe someone else could have offered more, but in this situation, we were satisfied with everything," Babayev told RB Sport, per a DeepL translation. "The main thing is the conversation with the coach, what the club expects from him and what kind of hockey they want to see there.
"The club has a positive attitude toward (him); I haven't heard a single negative word from Sibir. They understand that much of what's being said about him isn't true," he added.
Kuznetsov last played in the NHL in 2023-24. He started the year with the Capitals, but struggled with 17 points in 43 games before being waived and sent down to the AHL's Hershey Bears.
He was then subsequently traded to the Carolina Hurricanes, where he had seven points in 20 regular-season games and six points in 10 playoff games before terminating his contract ahead of free agency.
Kuznetsov has since been playing in Russia, where he'd originally signed a four-year deal with SKA St. Petersburg before terminating that contract and heading to Metallurg. He has been back in the D.C. area over the offseason, having skated at Reston SkateQuest.
