With Evgeny Kuznetsov potentially leaving the NHL for the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), he leaves behind a legacy for being one of the best forwards in the Alex Ovechkin era. He was not around for the beginning seasons of Ovechkin’s time like Nicklas Backstrom was, but Kuznetsov showed up in 2013-14, and grew into a star Capitals fans were proud to see on the ice. He especially played a key role during Washington’s Stanley Cup championship in 2018. It was heartbreaking for fans when he was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes this past season, but he ended his time in Washington as one of the best to ever lace up the skates for the organization.
Kuznetsov Took Some Time Coming to D.C.
Kuznetsov was drafted by Washington in the first round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Before coming to the NHL with the Capitals, he played some seasons over in the KHL with Chelyabinsk Traktor. He played in parts of five campaigns with Chelyabinsk, before officially leaving the league and arriving in D.C. While in the KHL, Kuznetsov posted the following offensive statistics:
In the middle of the 2013-14 campaign, then-general manager (GM) George McPhee inked Kuznetsov to an entry-level contract, and he started off his NHL career during the back half of that season. In 17 games for Washington, he put up nine points (three goals and six assists).
As the NHL seasons went on and Kuznetsov gained more experience, his point production increased. The 2014-15 season saw him accrue 11 goals and 26 assists for 37 points in 80 games. He then significantly shot up with 77 points in 82 games in 2015-16 (20 goals and 57 assists) to finish first on the roster in points, with the closest competition being Ovechkin with 71. It was only his second full NHL campaign, and he already led the team in points, impressive considering the skilled veterans like Ovechkin, Backstrom, Justin Williams, and T.J. Oshie on the team. It might have taken Kuznetsov a little bit of time to get to the NHL from the KHL, but his production proved he was worth the wait.
Helping Clinch the Stanley Cup
Kuznetsov’s point total dipped a little in 2016-17 (he had 59 points), but he more than made up for it when 2017-18 came around. In the regular season, he totaled 83 points (27 goals and 56 assists), which ended up being his career high in points. He was even more of a force in the 2018 playoffs, leading the team during that run with 32 points in 24 games (12 goals and 20 assists). One of the most clutch goals of his career came during the second-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, when he notched the series winner in overtime of Game 6 to help the franchise move on to the Eastern Conference Final. The Capitals later advanced to the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights and defeated them to win the franchise’s first Cup championship. Washington had many contributors who factored into their successful campaign, and Kuznetsov was right at the top along with teammates like Ovechkin and goalie Braden Holtby.
Kuznetsov Trade to Raleigh and KHL Possibility
In March of this year, Capitals’ GM Brian MacLellan decided it was time to move on from Kuznetsov and dealt the forward to Carolina for a 2025 third-round pick. He played in 723 regular-season contests for Washington and tallied 568 points in that span. Additionally, he amassed 67 points (29 goals and 38 assists) in 87 postseason games.
Evgeny Kuznetsov is so much fun to watch😎#CauseChaos pic.twitter.com/zzJU8xDNLt
— The Hockey Writers (@TheHockeyWriter) April 23, 2024
Kuznetsov, during his brief time as a Hurricane to wrap up the 2023-24 NHL season, scored two goals and five assists for seven points in 20 games. He also suited up for 10 playoff games and accrued four goals and two assists for six points.
It is being reported, as things stand right now, that Kuznetsov may head back to the KHL where he began his professional career and sign a deal with SKA St. Petersburg for four years. If he does go there, he would be joining a team famous for some of their players. Some notables who have played for St. Petersburg are Ilya Kovalchuk, Pavel Datsyuk, Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky, Evgenii Dadonov, and Andrei Kuzmenko, among others. If this is indeed the end of his time in the NHL, he was a dominant offensive player who is statistically one of the best to ever play for the organization.
Perhaps, he will have his jersey number retired one day or perhaps the team will honor him in another way. Capitals fans deserve a way to thank Kuznetsov for everything he did for the team. Without him, there may be no Cup championship in Washington’s history.
