Hurricanes placed Evgeny Kuznetsov on unconditional waivers to terminate contract

The Carolina Hurricanes placed Evgeny Kuznetsov on unconditional waivers Wednesday for the purpose of terminating his contract, a move that brings an abrupt end to the talented but inconsistent center’s rollercoaster NHL career.

Kuznetsov was still owed $6 million of his $8 million salary in the final season of his seven-year, $64.2 million contract originally signed in 2017. He walks away from that and keeps the $2 million bonus paid at the beginning of this month.

“Ultimately, both sides agreed that this was the best course of action for both the player and the team,” said general manager Eric Tulsky. “We thank Evgeny for his time with the team and wish him and his family the best.”

Reports emerged earlier in the week that Kuznetsov was planning to mutually terminate his contract and return home to Russia to play for SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL. He and his team had to agree to such a move for it to happen now, unless the Hurricanes expect a buyout window to open later this summer when one of their restricted free agent arbitration cases is resolved.

Kuznetsov’s agent, Craig Oster, did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on the mutual termination or clarity on his client’s future.

Carolina acquired Kuznetsov from Washington before the trade deadline in March, with the Capitals agreeing to retain half of his $7.8 million salary cap hit. His departure from North America eliminates the $3.9 million cap obligation for each team.

Kuznetsov was the leading scorer and Conn Smythe the runner-up in the Capitals’ 2018 Stanley Cup campaign, but has been up and down since then, a constant subject of trade rumors and speculation. He had 13 points in 30 games in a limited role with the Hurricanes as they reached the second round, and coach Rod Brind’Amour even made Kuznetsov a healthy scratch at one point during the playoff series against the New York Rangers.

His problem wasn’t just with the ice. In September 2019, the league suspended Kuznetsov three games without pay for “inappropriate conduct,” less than a month after he was banned from playing for Russia for four years due to a positive cocaine test.

Kuznetsov most recently joined the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in February. After he was cleared by program administrators to practice, the Capitals waived him in hopes of giving him a fresh start and subsequently sent him to the minors.

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

Kuznetsov was the 26th pick in Washington’s draft in 2010. He has scored 206 goals and 442 assists for 648 points in 840 regular-season and playoff games since making his NHL debut in 2014.