Evgeni Kuznetsov spent his 24-25 hockey season away from the NHL for the first time since 2013. The former Washington Capitals star played with Saint Petersburg and showed he can still perform, clipping at just under a point per game with 37 points in 39 games.
Kuznetsov has decided to return to North America for this season. The 33 year old Russian forward last played in NHL action in 23-24, split between the Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes. Evgeni struggled that season, recording 8 goals and 16 assists in 63 games. This led to his decision to depart home to the KHL.
With that said, Kuznetsov appears to have regained his NHL itch as the free agent awaits a contract with the 25-26 season close by. Reportedly, there are two teams vying for the forward’s services so far.
Where has Kuznetsov been linked to?
Via insider Daria Tuboltseva, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers are heavily considering signing Evgeni Kuznetsov.
Both teams make sense for differing reasons. For Florida with the recent injury setback regarding Sacha Barkov, Kuznetsov can be a solid depth option that can help make up for the loss. For Toronto, Kuznetsov can be the top 6 forward they are looking for in their search for replacing the Mitch Marner void.
We’ll see what happens with Kuznetsov soon as he looks to complete his return to the top hockey league in the world. Across 743 career games, Kuznetsov has amassed 173 goals and 402 assists. In the playoffs, he has totaled 33 goals and 40 assists in 97 games. He led the Washington Capitals in playoff production during their 2018 Stanley Cup run.
