Evgeny Kuznetsov was full of appreciation during his Breakdown Day interview on Saturday.
Kuznetsov, who ended up on the Carolina Hurricanes after being dealt by the Washington Capitals at the trade deadline, finished the season strong and became a fan favorite among Canes fans after struggling through the first half of the season and entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance program in February. Of his deal to Carolina, Kuznetsov previously called it his “last chance” in the NHL.
“It was a beautiful opportunity for me,” Kuznetsov said days after the Hurricanes were eliminated by the New York Rangers in the second round. “Wanted to thank for the people that made that happen on both sides. Came in trying to be me, trying to help the team win.
“It’s a lot of emotions, right? I’m feeling very grateful for opportunity to be here and still playing in the NHL. It’s just hard to put words together because I’m still mentally in that Game 6. I don’t usually care that long for the game and I don’t usually thinking about game for that long. Man, that game is still in my head and it’s something that I’ll probably need to do something with that for sure – that game for me personally it sucked.”
Carolina’s heartbreaking loss to the Rangers in Game 6 was a theme of Kuznetsov’s final presser of the year. The Hurricanes were up 3-1 heading into the third period and gave up four unanswered goals to New York in a collapse that sent them packing for summer vacation.
After a nine-year stretch where they missed the playoffs entirely, Carolina has been a part of the postseason for six straight seasons. They’ve been to the Eastern Conference Finals twice during that span but were eliminated in those series in just four games in both 2019 and 2023.
This season they entered the playoffs with as stacked as a roster as they ever have after deadline acquisitions included Kuznetsov and Pittsburgh Penguins star Jake Guentzel.
“Unfortunately, it’s a little sour taste at the end of the year especially when we were down 3-0 – let’s get one at least so it isn’t doesn’t look bad,” Kuznetsov said. “Then we get one, we get second one. Right before Game 6, probably 36 hours, I was driving around thinking. Usually, you lose, you go home, you happy kinda but for some reason before Game 6 I felt like, man, this is going to be sucks because the way we turn the series around and start playing better.
“It did suck actually so after the game it was pretty hard and it’s still kinda one of those games that I’ll probably never forget. I think we deserve to have a Game 7. Maybe we lose it or win, whatever it is but at least we deserve to win that Game 6 but unfortunately that wasn’t enough. I know this group maybe never be the same and for me it’s still new group, right? Just hoping that this summer will help us to be better and come back even stronger.”
Kuznetsov scored the game-winning goal in Game 5 to force an additional game but was only given 11:55 of ice time by head coach Rod Brind’Amour in the series decider. His time on ice ranked above only Jesperi Kotkaniemi (10:51) and Stefan Noesen (9:56) for Carolina. He also was scratched by Brind’Amour for Game 2 earlier in the series.
“It’s one of those when what else I can do? Bitch about, cry about, or I can be me, help the team, come back every day, and help the team win,” Kuznetsov said. “So, for me it was hard. It’s hard to perform out there and be me but I was trying hard to do what’s best for the team. If that’s where they need me right now. I’ll be there and if something happen, I’ll be ready for either way.”
When asked to give his favorite moment with the club, Kuznetsov described the roller-coaster ride of a few days with the Capitals’ AHL affiliate Hershey Bears and his immediate turnaround to joining up with the Hurricanes after a 7-hour AHL bus ride.
“Yeah, the first day probably when I flew from Charlotte to here,” Kuznetsov said. “That was amazing. By 11:30 I was still in Charlotte and at 1 o’clock I was already practicing here after missing like 45 days. Got a couple practices in Hershey, twelve hours bus drive, and stuff like that. The whole of that week will be unforgettable.”
Kuznetsov has one season remaining on his current contract, costing the Hurricanes $3.9 million against the salary cap. Washington retained 50 percent of the final year in the deadline deal. He is one of just nine forwards currently on Carolina’s roster that are signed for next season.
Carolina will likely go with a similar core as they re-signed Brind’Amour to a five-year extension. All of Brind’Amour’s assistants were also extended.
