Evgeny Kuznetsov traded to Carolina
The Washington Capitals have traded center Evgeny Kuznetsov to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick. The Capitals will also retain 50% of Kuznetsov’s salary.
Kuznetsov has spent all 11 years of his career with the Washington Capitals and has been wanting a trade for the past few seasons. Kuznetsov has scored 171 goals along with 397 assists for the Capitals but his production took a massive drop this season.
This year for Kuznetsov and the Capitals have been a tough one, to start Kuzy only had six goals and 11 assists and has moved all over the lineup. Kuzy’s been a healthy scratch for non disciplinary reasons for the first time in his career.
Recently, Kuzy was placed in the NHL’s players assistance program and when he returned he was placed on waivers and went unclaimed and demoted to AHL’s Hershey Bears. Kuzy has returned to practice but has yet to be cleared to play.
Kuzy will get to join one of his best friends in former Cap Dmitry Orlov in Carolina. The return for Kuzy is about as good as the Caps were going to get. This is another failure by GM Brian MacLellan who would have gotten way more in return if he traded Kuzy when he first requested two years ago.
Here is the Capitals press release.
NEWS | The Washington Capitals have acquired a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft from the Carolina Hurricanes for forward Evgeny Kuznetsov.
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) March 8, 2024
