Former star Evgeny Kuznetsov to walk away from eight million dollars

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Owen Fullerton
July 15, 2024 (5:53 PM)

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Evgeny Kuznetsov practices with the Carolina Hurricanes

Photo credit: NHL.com

Evgeny Kuznetsov, currently a member of the Carolina Hurricanes and once one of the league's top offensive stars while a member of the Washington Capitals, is reportedly walking away from the final year of his contract to sign a four-year deal with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL.

If he were to make the move, Kuznetsov would effectively be leaving the final year of his contract on the table and would have to forfeit the $8 million he stands to be paid this season.

For both the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals - who retained 50% of their contract in a trade last season - Kuznetsov, exiting the KHL, would open up $3.9 million in cap space.

Kuznetsov was once one of the league's top offensive stars. His 2017-18 season was highlighted by his scoring 83 points in 79 games and 32 points in 24 playoff games en route to a Washington Capitals Stanley Cup Finals victory.

However, off-ice issues and questionable commitment have effectively derailed the center's career. Last season, he was shipped to Carolina but had trouble fitting in.

Everything is possible in this life, but it is too early to talk about Evgeny Kuznetsov's return to Russia. It is unclear why this information arose because he has a contract with Carolina for another year. But there was a request from SKA. They called and said that they were ready to talk if Evgeny were to return. However, the request was not only from SKA but also from other teams.

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POLL
15 JUILLET \| 317 ANSWERS Former star Evgeny Kuznetsov to walk away from eight million dollars Do you think losing Evgeny Kuznetsov will be a big blow to the Hurricanes?
Yes, he adds experience and depth scoring	131	41.3 %
No, they can use his $3.9 million better elsewhere	186	58.7 %
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