News marked “lightning” came from North America on the day of the National Hockey League (NHL) transfer deadline. Evgeny Kuznetsov changed the club. Now the Russian striker will play for the Carolina Hurricanes.
Rumors about the exchange of Kuzi from the Washington Capitals have been going on for quite some time. Back in the summer, the Russian allegedly himself talked with the bosses of the capital about a possible change of club registration, and as the current season progressed, the North American media began to discuss various options for Evgeniy’s parting with the team, to which he brought the long-awaited Stanley Cup in 2018, much more often.
In winter the situation became more complicated. Kuznetsov did not begin to please with his results and performance after a short-term exile, and besides, he had problems of a non-sports nature. Due to difficulties, Evgeniy decided to enroll in a program to help NHL players. He is still undergoing treatment courses.
As soon as the League Players Association allowed the Russian forward to resume training with the team, Washington put him up for the waiver draft with a subsequent transfer to the capital’s Hershey Bears farm club, which plays in the AHL. None of the NHL clubs picked up Kuznetsov from the draft, so the Russian had to go with the team to Charlotte. A bus ride along a route covering a distance of almost 790 kilometers is clearly not what Kuznetsov ever expected.
The NHL clubs’ refusal of Kuznetsov screamed that a troubled Russian with a big salary was unlikely to be of use to anyone. But Carolina has plans for Evgeniy. According to well-known insider Pierre LeBrun, the Hurricanes gave up a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft in return. The Capitals will keep 50 percent of the forward's salary. Kuzi's contract with a cap hit of $7.8 million, we remind you, is valid until the end of the next season.
For both Kuznetsov and Carolina, this deal looks more like a win.
Evgeniy wanted to reboot his career and for this he even went to the bottom, from where he pushed off powerfully and ended up in a team that was among the main contenders for the Stanley Cup. The Hurricanes team is special in character and behavior. Under the leadership of Rod Brindamor, truly crazy guys play. Kuznetsov will clearly be able to find a common language with them.
Only hockey itself can become a problem. The Carolina head coach's playing system is very specific, and not all masters are able to master it. That’s why it’s more interesting how Kuznetsov adapts to new conditions. The Russian should be helped in this by his old friend Dmitry Orlov, with whom he won the Stanley Cup together in Washington. Now, the old friends will jointly build another championship path in a new club, where Andrei Svechnikov and Pyotr Kochetkov also play from the Russians.
As for the Hurricanes, the Hurricanes a little earlier strengthened themselves with elite forward and scorer Jake Guentzel . Now they have another skilled and creative striker at their disposal. And most importantly, “Carolina” gave, as they say, a sack of potatoes for him. The risk for the club is minimal.