Carolina Hurricanes Release Evgeny Kuznetsov, Ending a Tumultuous NHL Journey

The Carolina Hurricanes have placed Evgeny Kuznetsov on unconditional waivers with the intention of terminating his contract.

This move, announced on Wednesday, marks the end of the talented yet inconsistent center's roller-coaster NHL career.

Kuznetsov was still due $6 million of his $8 million salary for the final season of his seven-year, $64.2-million contract signed in 2017.

However, he will retain the $2 million bonus he received earlier this month.

"Ultimately both sides agreed this was the best course of action for both the player and the team," stated general manager Eric Tulsky.

"We thank Evgeny for his time with the team and wish him and his family the best."

Reports earlier in the week suggested that Kuznetsov planned to mutually terminate his contract and return to Russia to play for SKA Saint Petersburg in the KHL.

This agreement had to be mutual unless the Hurricanes waited for a buyout window to open later this summer following the settlement of one of their restricted free-agent arbitration cases.

On Wednesday afternoon, Kuznetsov's agent, Craig Oster, did not respond to requests for comments on the mutual termination or his client's future.

In related team news, while Carolina has an arbitration hearing pending for Martin Necas, the Hurricanes re-signed Jack Drury to a two-year contract worth $3.45 million.

The team still needs to finalize an agreement with fellow forward Seth Jarvis, who has approximately $13 million in salary cap space available.

"Jack took tremendous steps last season to solidify himself as a key part of our forward group," Tulsky said.

"He is an extremely hard worker at both ends of the ice who can be relied upon in all situations, and we are excited to watch his continued growth in Carolina."

The Hurricanes are focusing on developing young forwards after an off-season that saw the departures of Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teravainen, Stefan Noesen, and now Kuznetsov.

Carolina acquired Kuznetsov from Washington before the trade deadline in March, with the Capitals retaining half of his $7.8 million cap hit. Kuznetsov's departure from North America relieves each team of their $3.9-million cap obligation.

Kuznetsov was a key player for the Capitals during their 2018 Stanley Cup run, leading the team in scoring and finishing as a Conn Smythe Trophy runner-up.

However, his performance has been inconsistent since then, and he has been frequently involved in trade rumours. Kuznetsov managed 13 points in 30 games for the Hurricanes, who made it to the second round of the playoffs.

Coach Rod Brind'Amour even made Kuznetsov a healthy scratch for a game during the playoff series against the New York Rangers.

Kuznetsov himself acknowledged his inconsistency.

After an October 2018 game, he remarked, "To be MVP, you have to work hard 365 days in a year, but I'm not ready for that. I want to have fun and make those risky plays. To be MVP in this league, you have to play even better and stay focused 365 days, but that's not my style."

Off the ice, Kuznetsov has faced his share of troubles.

In September 2019, the NHL suspended him for three games without pay for "inappropriate conduct" following a positive test for cocaine, which also led to a four-year ban from playing for Russia.

Kuznetsov entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in February.

After being cleared to practice by program administrators, the Capitals placed him on waivers to offer him a fresh start, sending him to the minors.

Before playing a game for the American Hockey League's Hershey Bears, Kuznetsov was traded to Carolina for a 2025 third-round pick.

Drafted 26th overall by Washington in 2010, Kuznetsov has tallied 206 goals and 442 assists for 648 points in 840 regular-season and playoff games since his NHL debut in 2014.