A couple of former Washington Capitals stars connected in their native Russia this week.
Evgeny Kuznetsov posed for a photo with Viktor Kozlov, which was posted on the KHL club Salavat Yulaev’s Instagram account, Thursday morning. The two top-six forwards, although never teammates, combined to record 663 points (200g, 463a) in 871 career games for the Capitals.
Kuznetsov has been making the rounds in Russia in recent days, attending a Metallurg Magnitogorsk preseason game before this meeting with Kozlov.
Despite being back in Russia and associating with various KHL clubs, Kuznetsov’s agent, Shumi Babaev, has stated that he and his client are still exclusively speaking to NHL teams regarding the search for his next hockey home.
Babaev added that he and Kuznetsov have not set a deadline to find a suitor before considering other options, but NHL training camps are only a few weeks away from starting. Kuznetsov recorded 37 points (12g, 25a) in 39 games in his return season to the KHL during the 2024-25 campaign.
Kozlov may have a vested interest in speaking with Kuznetsov, beyond their shared status as former NHL stars, as he currently serves as the head coach of Salavat Yulaev. The 2025-26 season will be his fourth year in charge of the team after he began his coaching career as an assistant on Metallurg’s bench in 2015.
Under Kozlov’s watch this past season, Salavat Yulaev finished second in the KHL’s Eastern Conference, notching a 45-20-3 record in 68 games. The team then won two playoff series before falling in five games to the eventual Gagarin Cup champions, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, during the semifinals.
KHL training camps have already begun as teams continue their preseason preparation ahead of the regular season, which kicks off at the end of next week.
