Evgeny Kuznetsov officially cleared NHL waivers at 2 pm on Sunday and was assigned to the AHL minutes later by the Washington Capitals.
Kuznetsov’s demotion to the Hershey Bears comes a day after he returned to the Capitals after a 26-day stint in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.
If Kuznetsov ends up joining the Bears, the Russian forward will instantly become the biggest name in the AHL and could also play a big role on a historically good Hershey team as centers Mike Sgarbossa and Hendrix Lapierre are both up in Washington. The defending Calder Cup champions have won 41 of 55 games this season and are looking to make another long playoff run this year.
According to the AHL’s bio page created earlier in the day, Kuznetsov will wear number 92 with the Bears.
Evgeny Kuznetsov now officially has an AHL bio page https://t.co/u5H7HjIviG pic.twitter.com/KS9jVnjmM1
— Ian Oland (@ianoland) March 3, 2024
Bears head coach Todd Nelson says Hershey will be happy to have Kuznetsov, describing the waiver wire news on Saturday as the “surprise yesterday throughout the hockey world.”
“Anytime if we’re able to get a player like Kuzy, exceptional talent, there’s a reason he’s played in the National Hockey League for 11 years,” Nelson said on the Bears’ pregame show to Zack Fisch on Sunday. “We’ll just have to wait and see what happens, how everything unfolds. If he reports to Hershey, we’re more than welcome to have him.”
Final game at PPL Center this season for @TheHersheyBears. Same lineup as last night, except Stevenson in net. Lots of buzz with Kuznetsov clearing waivers and what happens next, but doesn’t impact today’s game. More with Todd Nelson on that pregame.
🎙️ https://t.co/VK5roWd7nv pic.twitter.com/NPzLoIVuTl
— Zack Fisch (@zackfisch) March 3, 2024
Nelson is one of the winningest head coaches in AHL history and a two-time Calder Cup champion as a bench boss. He also has an NHL pedigree as a head coach and was an assistant for the Dallas Stars when they reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2020. Nelson is well-liked by his players, holding them to a high standard of system play.
Monumental Sports Network’s Craig Laughlin reported during the telecast of the Capitals-Coyotes game Sunday that Kuznetsov intended to report to Hershey and he could possibly resume skating on Monday. Meanwhile, the Hershey Bears are off that day and do not have practice.
Kuznetsov’s loan to the AHL does not necessarily guarantee he will ever play a game for the Bears. The team’s next game comes on Friday at 7 pm in Charlotte — hours after the NHL trade deadline passes. Before he can get into a game for the Bears, Kuznetsov also needs to complete the post-care process of the NHL/NHLPA’s Player Assistance Program.
What the transaction does do is give Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan options to find Kuznetsov a new home. Any new team that potentially acquires Kuznetsov would not have to put him on waivers to have him play in the AHL as the Capitals have already done so. Kuznetsov would likely need time to re-find his game after a month off the ice. The Capitals can also retain as much as 50 percent of his salary in any deal.
“I think it’s about a fresh start for Kuzy,” MacLellan said. “I think he’s been looking for a change in environment and this might set the wheels in motion for that to be accomplished.”
The 31-year-old Kuznetsov has never played a game in the AHL due to his early years developing in Russia’s KHL. He joins Jakub Vrana as a fellow member of the Capitals’ 2018 Stanley Cup team in the AHL.
The Capitals get $1.15 million of cap savings with Kuznetsov’s assignment to the minor leagues. He is believed to be the highest-paid player in AHL history as his cap hit is $7.8 million and his minor league salary is $8 million.
Via @CapFriendly, Evgeny Kuznetsov's salary in the minors is $8 million https://t.co/K749xHengX pic.twitter.com/4nnPJbJcl6
— Ian Oland (@ianoland) March 3, 2024
