Evgeny Kuznetsov appears to have some Wolverine-level healing abilities.
The former Washington Capitals forward suffered an injury while playing for the KHL’s SKA Saint Petersburg in late September. Per Match TV’s Pavel Lysenkov, the injury was to his shoulder, which sent him to the hospital and was reportedly set to keep him out for at least two months. However, Kuznetsov is already scheduled to return to game action on Thursday when SKA plays Dinamo Minsk.
Lysenkov added that there was a chance Kuznetsov could have been out for an entire year recovering from the ailment, making his quick recovery even more impressive. Roman Rotenberg, SKA’s head coach, announced the good news on his Telegram account, Wednesday.
“Evgeny Kuznetsov himself demonstrated the highest level of professionalism, following all the doctors’ wishes as strictly as possible, working hard in the gym and on the ice, and regaining his fitness in the shortest possible time. We are expecting Zhenya at the Ice Palace on Thursday!”
Rotenberg attached a video of Kuznetsov powering through a workout on a stationary bike to accompany his message.
Per Match TV, Kuznetsov did all his rehab work in St. Petersburg, where he could freely skate, run, and jump, but was limited when shooting the puck. The 32-year-old has a history of shoulder issues from his prior stint in the KHL with Traktor Chelyabinsk.
So far this season, in his return to the league, Kuznetsov has tallied 5 points (1g, 4a) in 9 games for SKA to go along with a plus-minus of plus-3. He is averaging 13:26 of ice time, skating many of those minutes on the team’s third line with Ivan Demidov, a top Montreal Canadiens prospect. Kuznetsov faked the Michigan to provide the primary assist on the 18-year-old’s first KHL goal.
SKA is 2-2 in the four games without Kuznetsov. After amassing 18 standings points in 13 games, the team sits second in the Bobrov Division and third in the KHL’s Western Conference.
