Bye Bye Birdy

There's no denying that Evgeny Kuznetsov is a talented hockey player. He won a Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals in 2018 when he had an incredible playoff run where he scored 12 goals and 32 points in 24 games, he's been 70-point player four times in his career, and he's scored at least 19 goals in six seasons. Since being drafted by the Capitals 26th-overall in 2010, he's scored 575 points in 743 games, so there's no reason not believe he can still contribute. However, it seems like the Carolina Hurricanes won't get to see a full season of hockey out of him in their colours after Kuznetsov reportedly decided to return home and sign a deal in the KHL, effectively ending his NHL career.

Announced on Wednesday, the Carolina Hurricanes placed Kuznetsov on waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract after it was reported that Kuznetsov had returned to Russia where he signed a four-year deal with SKA St. Petersburg. The contract in Russia has yet to be confirmed by Kuznetsov or his agent, but it seems like the Hurricanes have the necesssary information for them to make this decision. As bewildering as this decision by Kuznetsov seems, I can understand why he made the leap back home to play hockey.

SKA St. Petersburg is a perennial powerhouse based on who they roll out on their rosters annually. There's no denying they have money to spend on players every season as former NHL players like Mikhail Grigorenko, Andrei Pedan, Sergei Plotnikov, and Nikita Zaitsev all skated for the team last year. Over the years, they've featured Darius Kasparaitis, Sergei Gusev, Alexander Galchenyuk, Jamie Heward, Michal Grosek, and Valeri Zelepukin at different points, and it literally comes down to two teams in the KHL for most players when it comes to getting paid: CSKA Moscow or SKA St. Petersburg.

By signing Kuznetsov, SKA has a legitimate offensive star to power their offence. I have no idea what they paid him to convince him to walk away from Carolina's money, but it seems pretty clear that SKA needed some star power to infuse fan interest back into the team. Kuznetsov brings instant credibility, and his ability to be a showman on the ice will certainly put eyes back on him and SKA St. Petersburg when it comes to potentially being selected for the 2026 Olympics.

Fo the Hurricanes, they get some serious cap relief when it comes to signing some of their free agents, but it may open the door for Martin Necas to return after it sounded like he wanted out. Kuznetsov's absence is a large hole on that Hurricanes roster, and Necas' skillset would nearly be perfect to fill that absence. By having Kuznetsov opt out of his contract, the Hurricanes may actually benefit by keeping their younger players under contract.

One of the players that Carolina inked today in the wake of the waiver announcement was Jack Drury. The centerman put his signature on a two-year, $3.45 million contract as he'll add a little skill and grit down the middle. Drury had 27 points in 74 games last season, but he should see a bigger role this season with the departures of Kuznetsov, Jake Guentzel, and Teuvo Teravainen.

Clearly, losing a talent like Kuznetsov doesn't help Carolina, but they appear to have enough talent in the pipeline to make up what he brings to the ice in the aggregate. In the long run, those assets may prove more valuable as all of Drury, Necas, and the unsigned Seth Jarvis can improve and do more thanks to their younger ages. Because of this, I don't believe the decision to terminate Kuznetsov's contract was difficult at all.

"Ultimately both sides agreed this was the best course of action for both the player and the team," Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky said Wednesday about the decision. "We thank Evgeny for his time with the team and wish him and his family the best."

And with that, it seems that Evgeny Kuznetsov's NHL career is over. The bird celebration will live in St. Petersburg for the foreseeable future and, perhaps, for the remaining time Evgeny Kuznetsov plays hockey, and I hope he enjoys his career in the KHL as he's still a fun player to watch.

For the Hurricanes, though, they may find themselves in a better position with the cap space freed up as several younger players can be re-signed and given bigger roles. Losing Kuznetsov isn't great as there is a loss of talent there, but the Hurricanes will push forward with the incredible talent they have on their roster.

At the end of the day, it's clear that three younger, talented players are worth more than two bird celebrations at the rink.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!