SKA St. Petersburg is not cutting ties with Evgeny Kuznetsov, according to head coach Roman Rotenberg, but there are some subtle signs the team is moving on from the centerman at least for the rest of this season.
Kuznetsov, who has at times disappointed in his first season with the divisive KHL club, reportedly suffered a second concussion and an acute respiratory viral infection in late February that has landed him on SKA’s injured list.
Now, Match TV reports that Kuznetsov’s locker was removed from SKA’s locker room. Rotenberg recently explained the reasoning why.
“It takes time to recover,” Rotenberg said to Match TV as translated by Google Translate. “That’s already clear. And how much time is needed – we don’t know. In addition, in our locker room there are signs of those who are going to fight in a specific match. In this case, we now only have those guys who are flying to the next match in Minsk.
“Now we need to think not about the locker, but how all of us – the SKA club, the doctors – can help Kuznetsov so that he recovers and returns to hockey. This is the most serious task. And there is no need to look for another subtext here.”
Kuznetsov is currently in St. Petersburg, but may end up getting treatment elsewhere if his symptoms continue to give him trouble.
“For now he will definitely be in St. Petersburg for a week, staying at home,” Rotenberg said. “Doctors will come to his home. We don’t want to put him in the hospital. SKA is helping him as much as possible. We support both Zhenya and his family. The athlete’s health is our top priority.”
On Thursday, Rotenberg reiterated to Sport-Express that, “the contract with Evgeny Kuznetsov will not be terminated.” Rotenberg later added, “I don’t have an answer as to whether he will return to the ice this season.”
Kuznetsov notched 37 points (12g, 25a) in 38 games played this season. SKA currently sits seventh in the Western Conference standings with a few games remaining, safely in a playoff spot.
The latest Kuznetsov controversy began on February 22 when the 2018 Stanley Cup champion did not play against Spartak and later missed SKA’s matchup against Dynamo Moscow on February 25. Russian sports journalist Artur Khairullin reported on his Telegram that Kuznetsov would likely not play for SKA again. Kuznetsov’s agent Shumi Babayev denied the report, saying it was “gossip.” Kuznetsov was eventually moved to the injured list, with sources revealing his second concussion and the play where he got hurt.
Kuznetsov left the NHL last season, after the Carolina Hurricanes terminated his contract in July. He signed an incentive-laden four-year contract with SKA in August.
