The Washington Capitals dealt veteran center Evgeny Kuznetsov to the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2025 third-round draft pick hours before the NHL trade deadline.
The Capitals will retain 50 percent of Kuznetsov’s salary ($7.8 million) this year and next. The deal gives Washington 26 total draft selections over the next three drafts.
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun was first on the news before the Capitals made the move official.
Pending trading call, Evgeni Kuznetsov is being traded to the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2025 third-round pick.
Washington is retaining 50 percent on Kuznetsov (one more year next season at a $7.8 M AAV)— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) March 8, 2024
Kuznetsov leaves DC after spending parts of 11 seasons with the Capitals. The 31-year-old Russian was drafted in the first round by the Capitals at the 2010 NHL Draft.
ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reports that while the Capitals have been searching for a suitor to take Kuznetsov for some time, this is the first time that the Carolina Hurricanes have entered the mix. Kaplan adds that the Hurricanes still believe that Kuznetsov is a “high end top 6 player.”
There will be some sense of familiarity for Kuznetsov with Carolina as he joins longtime best pal Dmitry Orlov. Orlov signed a two-year contract with the Hurricanes this past offseason. The two players spent the bye week with each other in Miami.
Carolina also sports Russian winger Andrei Svechnikov and goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov on their roster.
Kuznetsov is currently in North Carolina as he bussed to Charlotte with the rest of the Hershey Bears after being waived and sent down by the Capitals late last week. Bears head coach Todd Nelson had Kuznetsov skating on his top line ahead of the team’s set of back-to-back games against the Checkers.
The last time Kuznetsov played in an NHL game was on January 27 for the Capitals. When the team came back from their bye week and the NHL All-Star break over a week later, Kuznetsov entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program — a joint project between the league and players’ organization to support players dealing with mental health, substance abuse, and other issues.
Kuznetsov was away in the program for 26 days before being reinstated on March 2. The Capitals then promptly waived him, citing both parties’ desire to find the pivot a fresh start. He leaves the organization after contributing 568 points (171g, 397a) in 723 games and being the team’s leading postseason scorer in their successful run to the 2018 Stanley Cup. He also scored the series-ending overtime game-winner in Game Six against the Pittsburgh Penguins that finally got the Capitals over the hump.
As things currently stand, Kuznetsov is still in the follow-up phase of the player assistance program that has allowed him to practice but not play in games. Once that changes, he is expected to meet with the media for the first time since being allowed to return to a team’s active roster.
The Capitals are scheduled to play the Hurricanes at Capital One Arena on March 22.
Here’s the press release from the team:
Capitals Acquire 2025 Third-Round Pick from Carolina for Evgeny Kuznetsov
The Washington Capitals have acquired a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft from the Carolina Hurricanes for forward Evgeny Kuznetsov, president and general manager Brian MacLellan announced today. The Capitals will retain 50 percent of Kuznetsov’s salary as part of the trade.
The Capitals own 26 total picks in the next three drafts, including 14 in the first three rounds. Washington currently has eight picks in the 2024 NHL Draft, 10 picks in the 2025 NHL Draft and eight picks in the 2026 NHL Draft. The Capitals own their first, third, fourth, fifth and sixth-round picks in 2024, as well as Vegas’ second-round pick, Boston’s third-round pick and the New York Islanders’ third-round pick in 2024; their first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth-round picks in 2025, as well as Colorado’s second-round pick, Boston’s second-round pick, Carolina’s third-round pick and Chicago’s fifth-round pick in 2025; and all seven of their picks in the 2026 NHL Draft, along with Vegas’ fourth-round pick.
Kuznetsov, 31, has recorded 568 points (171g, 397a) in 723 career games with Washington. Kuznetsov, who won the Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018, was drafted by Washington in the first round (26th overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft.
