Evgeny Kuznetsov may be almost 4,500 miles from Washington, DC, in St. Petersburg, Russia, but he’s still keeping a close eye on the Washington Capitals.
Kuznetsov recently sat down with Sergey Demidov of RG and discussed his former club’s hot start to the 2024-25 season, including what may be behind it. The 32-year-old centerman for the KHL’s SKA St. Petersburg credits head coach Spencer Carbery for much of the success.
“Carbery knows how to communicate details to players,” Kuznetsov said. “I’ve seen him give players the opportunity to make mistakes more than once, but in the end, they understood what was required of them. He has a huge amount of trust in the players.”
Kuznetsov’s praise comes despite him having a rough end to his 11-season stint with the Capitals last year under Carbery. In February, he entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program and then, in March, was sent down to the AHL’s Hershey Bears and subsequently traded to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Carbery, who guided Washington as a rookie bench boss, gave Kuznetsov multiple chances to stay in the lineup during the season, even after a notable healthy scratch against the Arizona Coyotes in early December. Carbery was also happy to see how Kuznetsov bounced back after his move to Carolina.
“I’m happy for him that he landed on his feet, and he’s in a great organization,” Carbery said last March. “I think for him — as not a hockey player, as a human being — he needed to get a fresh start and leave this environment.”
The cordial divorce between Kuznetsov and Carbery shines even brighter when you compare how Kuznetsov felt when Peter Laviolette, his previous head coach with the Capitals, departed the organization the previous summer. Kuznetsov openly criticized Laviolette in his tell-all interview with the Russian outlet Slippery Ice before the 2023-24 campaign.
When Laviolette’s coaching style was described as “old school,” Kuznetsov responded, “I don’t know…If this is even a school.”
Demidov also asked Kuznetsov to give his thoughts on the development of Capitals prospect Ivan Miroshnichenko. Kuznetsov used his answer to praise Carbery again for how he treats players.
“I know the coach, and everything will depend not only on goals and assists,” Kuznetsov said. “If he pays attention to details and coaching instructions, he will be trusted and given a chance. And then points will come.”
Kuznetsov’s comments came on November 29, and since then, Miroshnichenko has been moved to Washington’s fourth line, allowing him to simplify his game. The young Russian is riding the longest point streak of his NHL career, three games starting on November 29 against the New York Islanders.
So far this season, Carbery has done nothing but prove Kuznetsov correct. The Capitals enter Friday’s games with a 17-6-2 record and are atop the NHL’s Eastern Conference.
