As ex-Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov attempts an NHL comeback this coming season, he has a handful of supporters, including Alex Ovechkin.
Ovechkin spoke on his former teammate in an interview with Gazeta.ru, and though he couldn't answer whether or not he would play again in Washington, he voiced support for Kuznetsov.
"He has a good head on his shoulders," Ovechkin said, per a DeepL translation. "God willing, he'll sign a contract with a team and prove himself either in the NHL or KHL."
Kuznetsov last played in the NHL in 2023-24, when he was waived and subsequently traded by the Capitals to the Carolina Hurricanes after he put up just 17 points through the first 43 games of the season while also spending time in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.
The 33-year-old and the Hurricanes agreed to mutually terminate his NHL contract at the end of last season as he returned to Russia to play in the KHL. He signed a four-year deal with SKA St. Petersburg, but after putting up 37 points in 39 games and dealing with ongoing struggles and coaching issues, terminated his contract there.
Now, Kuznetsov is eyeing a return to the NHL, and his agent, Shumi Babayev, said that they are taking their time with the process and that there are a handful of teams showing intereset in the center.
Over 11 years with the Capitals, Kuznetsov had 171 goals and 397 assists for 568 points. In 743 total NHL games, he has racked up 575 points.
Capitals Urged to Reset Roster Amid Alex Ovechkin Rumors
Despite finishing the regular season with the best record in the Eastern Conference, the Washington Capitals couldn't complete the goal of winning another Stanley Cup. Washington was bounced out in the second round of the playoffs, and they entered the offseason with a lot of questions.
One of the biggest has been around star Alex Ovechkin and his upcoming retirement. There were rumors around him retiring, but those were quickly put to bed.
But with Ovechkin still on the roster, the Capitals have to find a way to win next season.
NHL writer Joe Yerdon of Bleacher Report named multiple teams that should reset their rosters if they don't win the title this coming season. The Capitals were mentioned as one of the teams, and with the rumors around Ovechkin, things look a little bleak.
"Ovechkin will play as long as he wants to in D.C. and having a coach like Spencer Carbery helps make things a lot easier. But the plan for life after Ovechkin needs to be ready.
"If the Capitals don't repeat their success and take it a step further to win the Stanley Cup, figuring out how to play things is a much tougher thing to do than hoping running it back works," Yerdon wrote.
While Ovechkin isn't retiring this season, the Capitals do need to take advantage of his final years. The veteran showed that he can still perform at a very high level, and Washington's front office will need to maximize that fact.
Washington has a lot of pressure on it this coming season, especially after such a disappointing playoff run. If the Capitals aren't careful, they could waste the last few productive seasons of the All-Star.
