Photo: Patrick Smith

Years ago, no one knew if talented forward Evgeny Kuznetsov, a notorious waffler, would ever play in the NHL. “It’s kind of like seeing the Loch Ness Monster,” George McPhee said on March 8, 2014, the night Kuznetsov finally put ink to paper on a two-year entry-level contract.

After all that KHL drama though, it looks like Kuznetsov is ready to make a long-term commitment to the NHL. When speaking to The Washington Post’s Alex Prewitt Monday about his recent two-year extension, Kuznetsov stated his desire again to stay in Washington for the rest of his career.

Every hockey player wants long term, right? But I think my deal is perfect for both sides right now. If I play good, we sign a long deal, it’s not a big deal, but it’s all about time, you know? I have to show not only one season how I play, like half season, I have to play two more years like that. I want to stay here probably my whole career. Why not? My wife like it here, my parents like it, I like it. Good city. Good hockey team, all-around hockey.

Sure, the whole I want to play here forever is a tired sports cliché, but with Kuznetsov, I believe it’s different. While he played with his hometown Traktor Chelyabinsk, Kuznetsov mentioned many times his desire to sign a long-term contract there that would keep him in his hometown forever. But lucky for us, that never happened.

I think this is less about Washington and more about what Kuznetsov and all of us in life crave: stability.

Learning from one of the greatest hockey players of all-time can’t hurt either.