Evgeny Kuznetsov is reportedly making his way back to the KHL. According to championat.com, Kuznetsov is set to sign a four-year contract with SKA Saint Petersburg, foregoing the final year on his contract with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Championat’s Arina Nuriakhmetova says the contract will officially be announced once Kuznetsov and the Hurricanes resolve their side of the contractual business. Sport24’s Daria Tuboltseva was the first to share the news on social media Monday afternoon.
Per https://t.co/QgAZ3NffoH Evgeni Kuznetsov is set to sign a 4-year contract with SKA as soon as he terminates his agreement with the Hurricanes #CauseChaos #Canes
— Daria Tuboltseva (@DariaTuboltseva) July 15, 2024
Kuznetsov, who ended up on the Carolina Hurricanes after being dealt by the Washington Capitals at the trade deadline, finished the 2023-24 season strong and became a fan favorite among Canes fans. The talented, Russian centerman struggled through the first half of the season and entered 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 then. “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.”
Kuznetsov had one season remaining on the eight-year deal he signed with Washington in the summer of 2017. The Capitals retained 50 percent of his cap hit in the trade to Carolina so he was set to cost both teams $3.9 million this upcoming season. The Capitals are likely to get some cap relief if Kuznetsov does indeed terminate his NHL deal.
The 32-year-old forward left DC at the 2024 deadline after spending parts of 11 seasons with the Capitals. He contributed 568 points (171g, 397a) in 723 games for Washington and was the team’s leading postseason scorer in their successful run to the 2018 Stanley Cup.
Kuznetsov was initially drafted in the first round by the Capitals at the 2010 NHL Draft (26th overall) and came over from the KHL towards the end of the 2013-14 campaign. He previously starred in the KHL for parts of five seasons with Traktor Chelyabinsk.
SKA acquired Kuznetsov’s KHL rights from Traktor for approximately one million dollars the day after Kuznetsov re-signed with the Capitals in 2017. SKA previously offered Kuznetsov a big money deal to try and lure him away from the Capitals.
“We talked to SKA’s management, and they said that they would always hold a spot for me in the case of another NHL lockout or some other unforeseen circumstance,” Kuznetsov said then. “For now, I play for Washington, but you can never predict what will happen in the future.”
