Charles LeClaire — Imagn Images Former Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov is open to anything for the upcoming season, and has made headlines as he's played in the D.C. beer league at the Caps' practice facility while teasing an NHL comeback. Now, he's apparently closing in on a decision as he trains and prepares for the upcoming campaign. Agent Shumi Babayev spoke with SportsDaily correspondent Mikhail Nyukhin [https://www.sportsdaily.ru/news/agent-kuznetsova-my-opredelilis-s-klubami-nkhl-zhdem-podpisaniya], and said that the 33-year-old is training in Moscow and has narrowed down his options going into 2025-26 as teams look to make Kuznetsov's salary work. "No news yet... there's an expectation of signing," Babayev said, per a DeepL translation. "We've decided on the clubs. Two teams are now resolving issues with their budget." Babayev also said there have been no conversations regarding Kuznetsov signing for the league minimum. Leonard On Dynamic With Cristall, Potential Of Him Cracking Capitals Roster: 'Hopefully We'll Be Together For A Good Amount Of Time' [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/14adb3b4-ed47-4f5b-a899-b4b029e202de.webp] Leonard On Dynamic With Cristall, Potential Of Him Cracking Capitals Roster: 'Hopefully We'll Be Together For A Good Amount Of Time' ARLINGTON, V.A. — Washington Capitals rookie Ryan Leonard is focused on keeping his roster spot out of training camp, and at the same time, he's rooting for fellow prospect Andrew Cristall. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals/players/leonard-on-dynamic-with-cristall-potential-of-him-cracking-capitals-roster-hopefully-we-ll-be-together-for-a-good-amount-of-time] Kuznetsov terminated his NHL contract back in 2024 following a rough season where he was waived, assigned to the AHL's Hershey Bears [http://thehockeynews.com/ahl] and subsequently traded by the Capitals to the Carolina Hurricanes [http://thehockeynews.com/nhl/carolina-hurricanes]. He then signed in the KHL [http://thehockeynews.com/international] with SKA St. Petersburg, where he had 37 points in 39 games. However, he struggled with consistency and didn't always see eye-to-eye with the coach, and both sides chose to mutually terminate the four-year deal he signed after just one season. NHL training camps open on Sept. 18, so it's possibly that Kuznetsov signs sooner rather than later or possibly considers a professional tryout.
