The Carolina Hurricanes have made the decision to put Evgeny Kuznetsov on unconditional waivers with the intention of terminating his contract. This move marks the end of Kuznetsov's tumultuous NHL career, characterized by both talent and inconsistency.
Kuznetsov, who was in the final season of a seven-year deal signed in 2017, was still owed $6 million of his $8 million salary. The Hurricanes' general manager, Eric Tulsky, stated that both parties agreed that terminating the contract was the best course of action for the player and the team.
Reports surfaced earlier in the week suggesting that Kuznetsov was planning to mutually terminate his contract to return to Russia and play for SKA Saint Petersburg in the KHL. Kuznetsov's agent did not respond to requests for comment on the termination or his client's future.
Following this development, the Hurricanes re-signed forward Jack Drury to a two-year contract worth $3.45 million. The team still has to finalize a contract for fellow forward Seth Jarvis with approximately $13 million in salary cap space remaining.
Kuznetsov was acquired by Carolina from Washington before the trade deadline in March, with the Capitals agreeing to retain half of his cap hit. Despite being a key player during the Capitals' 2018 Stanley Cup victory, Kuznetsov's performance has been inconsistent in recent years.
Off-ice issues have also plagued Kuznetsov, including a suspension for inappropriate conduct in 2019 and a positive test for cocaine that led to a four-year ban from playing for Russia. More recently, he entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in February.
Kuznetsov, the 26th overall pick in the 2010 draft, has accumulated 648 points in 840 regular-season and playoff games since his NHL debut in 2014.
