Evgeny Kuznetsov is making the media rounds in Russia after signing a four-year contract with SKA Saint Petersburg to return to the KHL this past week.

Kuznetsov most recently shared some time with reporter Alexey Shevchenko from Sport-Express and revealed that he was going through serious health issues during his last year in the NHL that eventually led to him entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance program. The 32-year-old pivot had recorded just 17 points (6g, 11a) in 43 games with the Washington Capitals before entering the program.

“I had rheumatoid arthritis, I took pills and injections all year,” Kuznetsov said per a translation from Google Translate. “Then I stopped taking them, it felt good, nothing hurt. I haven’t taken anything for three months and I feel great, I run, I work out in the gym.”

Per the National Institutes of Health (NIH):

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a “chronic (long-lasting) autoimmune disease that mostly affects joints. RA occurs when the immune system, which normally helps protect the body from infection and disease, attacks its own tissues. The disease causes pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of function in joints.

Additional features of rheumatoid arthritis can include the following:

It affects the lining of the joints, which damages the tissue that covers the ends of the bones in a joint.
RA often occurs in a symmetrical pattern, meaning that if one knee or hand has the condition, the other hand or knee is often also affected.
It can affect the joints in the wrists, hands, elbows, shoulders, feet, spine, knees, and jaw.
RA may cause fatigue, occasional fevers, and a loss of appetite.
RA may cause medical problems outside of the joints, in areas such as the heart, lungs, blood, nerves, eyes, and skin.
Kuznetsov’s medical issues were so persistent that they were interrupting his daily life outside of hockey to an extreme degree. And he says Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan was completely unaware of his struggles.

“They couldn’t figure out for a year why I couldn’t sleep. I could only manage two hours a day,” Kuznetsov said. “I’m not one to complain, but I had to, and no one really believed me. The general manager didn’t even know that I had been suffering all year.”

Kuznetsov’s trying year ultimately saw him dealt to the Carolina Hurricanes at the 2024 trade deadline. He then chose to terminate his contract with Carolina this summer in favor of a move back to Russia, which he is hopeful will be a positive step for his career.

“I hope [my problems won’t follow me to Russia],” Kuznetsov said. “There are different nuances why certain moments happen in life. One of them is motivation and understanding of the responsibility that lies with me. One mistake can disappoint many people.”

Kuznetsov’s future now lies solidly within the KHL for the first time since he was a teenager. He departs the NHL after tallying 575 points (173g, 402a) in 743 games for Washington and Carolina.

The talented playmaker joins an SKA team that finished as the KHL’s top regular season team last year and made it to the penultimate round of the Gagarin Cup playoffs. Kuznetsov hasn’t starred in the league since he was 21 years old with Traktor Chelyabinsk during the 2023-14 season.

“Many people close to me are waiting for me to s— myself,” Kuznetsov said. “I’ve never had the motivation to personally prove to myself that I’m the best. But now I have the motivation to prove it to them.

“This situation is the most treacherous thing, when people dream of my failure. But it’s cool – it’s addictive, motivating. I haven’t forgotten how to play hockey. That’s the most important thing.”