Evgeny Kuznetsov is Returning to the NHL; Is He the 2C Carolina Needs?
Guess who’s back (and it sure as heck ain’t Slim Shady)
Evgeny Kuznetsov and his fabulous cellies are poised to return to the NHL, according to a recent interview from RG Media*. With several teams in need of quality support down the middle, the ‘Bird Man’ may be just the thing a club will need to swoop in and save them from their centerman woes.
Evgeny Kuznetsov Returns to NHL After Season Abroad
Kuznetsov’s exit from the NHL came last season as he and the Carolina Hurricanes made a mutual agreement to terminate his contract. He then returned to the KHL, joining SKA St. Petersburg as an alternate captain. However, his big homecoming to the Russian League wasn’t as spectacular as many would have hoped. Between two concussions and a respiratory infection, Kuznetsov missed nearly half of the regular season.
Fast forward to this offseason, and he and SKA St. Petersburg split after completing just one season on his four-year contract. Since then, he has received multiple offers from other teams in the KHL, per his agent Shumi Babaev, but he is far too interested in a return to North America.
Working up the interest of General Managers, his agent has been marketing the shootout specialist as a good centerman at a great deal. “He’s not going to cost what he did before—he’s not an $8 million player anymore”, Babaev said. “His new deal will be significantly more affordable, and for many cap-strapped teams, that could be a steal: a quality centre at a reasonable price.”
Babaev also gave some assurance on his quality, as well: “Last year, he was mentally and physically exhausted and wanted to come back to Russia. But even at 60–70% of his usual level, he was still one of the top players in the KHL.”
Will the Carolina Hurricanes Try to Get Him?
Whether they will and whether they should are two separate questions.
So far, there haven’t been rumors of Carolina pursuing him. However, what Eric Tulsky has proven in his first full season as GM is that he is a man of mystery. If they were in on bringing Kuznetsov back to Carolina, I doubt we would hear much about it until right as it happens.
As for whether they should, well, I’m not convinced it would be the best idea. His offensive game is great, but his defensive capabilities leave much to be desired. Additionally, he may not be able to fully compete or complete a full season due to his health.
During his last season in the NHL, he struggled greatly with rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic disease where the immune system attacks tissues in the joints. He was later placed into the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program due to his use of painkillers for the condition.
Despite that, he was able to play 63 games in the 2023-24 regular season, as well as all of the games in the playoffs. If you go from that benchmark, it should be manageable…but there is one more looming issue to consider.
He only wants a one-year deal. Normally, that wouldn’t be much of an issue; however, it would make him far less desirable if the front office wished to use him as a chip in a trade.
Final Thoughts
In all honesty, should the Hurricanes sign him, it could be doable. But, you would also have to ask yourself whether it would truly move the dial or not.
I just don’t see him sliding in as the second-line centerman.
Nonetheless, Kuznetsov is a great player, and I do not doubt we’ll all see him back in the big show sooner rather than later.
Note From the Author
* RG Media is typically a decent outlet for news. However, their website has recently been flagged by multiple antivirus programs for malicious software. I’m not going to put you, the reader, in danger as long as I'm aware of it, so I will not link to it. I will, though, provide the title for sourcing and give the author a quick shoutout.
RG.org | “Agent: Evgeny Kuznetsov Eyes NHL Return, 10 Teams Interested” (By Daria Tuboltseva)