Evgeny Kuznetsov’s long quest for a new team is finally over.
After being unable to land a suitable deal in the NHL, Kuznetsov has returned to the KHL where he signed a signed a one-year contract with Metallurg Magnitogorsk for the 2025-26 season.
Sport-Express journalist Artur Khairullin first reported the news on Telegram.
According to Match TV, Kuznetsov will make 10 million rubles this season, the equivalent of $123K in the US, along with a 100 million ruble bonus ($1.23 million USD) if he finishes in the top three in KHL scorers.
On the team’s website, Metallurg sporting director Evgeny Biryukov said of Kuznetsov’s addition (per sports.ru and a translation by Google Translate):
What’s been the talk of the Russian hockey community for the past few days has happened – Metallurg has signed Evgeny Kuznetsov. I don’t think he needs an introduction.
Evgeny is a top-class player; players like him are rare on the free agent market. We all know his strengths: technique, skating, and the ability to not only make plays himself but also create opportunities for his teammates. A player of his caliber will add variety to our attack.
Moreover, he plays as a center forward, a position that’s in short supply these days. We simply couldn’t pass up the opportunity to strengthen our roster with such a player.
Yes, Evgeny’s last season was a bit of a mess, but we’ve spoken several times and we see in him an incredible drive and a desire to prove to everyone, including himself, that he’s a top-level player with big goals.
I’m confident Andrei Vladimirovich (our head coach) knows how to integrate a forward into the lineup effectively, as well as unlock and enhance his talent. The coaches will now assess his fitness level and then determine his debut date for Metallurg. I personally wish Evgeny the best of luck in showing everyone what he’s capable of.
The agreement comes after Kuznetsov held a private training session with the team. Magnitogorsk is located in the Chelyabinsk Region, 187 miles southwest of Kuzy’s hometown of Chelyabinsk. Former Capitals legend Alex Semin played two seasons for the team from 2015 through 2017, winning the Gagarin Cup with Ilya Samsonov in 2016.
Kuznetsov, 33, spent the 2024-25 season with SKA St. Petersburg, recording 37 points (12g, 25a) in 39 regular season games. In the playoffs, he added 3 points (1g, 2a) in 6 games. SKA and Kuznetsov mutually agreed to terminate the remaining three years of his four-year contract in April.
After rumors of a potential signing with Ak Bars Kazan in early May, Kuznetsov and his agent Shumi Babaev spent the entire summer trying to make a return to the NHL happen. According to the Babaev, the duo had talks with more than 10 teams, including Montreal and Florida, but nothing came to fruition.
Kuznetsov returned to the Washington DC area briefly during the summer, going viral playing beer hockey multiple times at MedStar Capitals Iceplex and participating in a highly-attended public autograph signing in Southern Maryland in late July.
A return to the Capitals, according to Babaev, was never considered.
