Hurricanes to terminate Evgeny Kuznetsov's contract

The Carolina Hurricanes put Evgeny Kuznetsov on unconditional waivers Wednesday for the purpose of terminating his NHL contract.

Kuznetsov was owed $6 million of his $8 million salary in the final season of his $64.2 million, seven-year deal originally signed in 2017.

"Ultimately both sides agreed this was the best course of action for both the player and the team," general manager Eric Tulsky said. "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 go home to Russia to play for SKA Saint Petersburg in the KHL. He and his camp had to agree to such a move for this to happen now, unless the Hurricanes waited for a buyout window to open later this summer.

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 removes any cap obligations for either team.

Kuznetsov was the leading scorer on the Capitals' 2018 Stanley Cup run but has had an up-and-down career since, including 13 points in 30 regular-season and playoff games in a limited role with the Hurricanes. Coach Rod Brind'Amour even made Kuznetsov a healthy scratch at one point in the playoffs.

His trouble was not just on the ice. The league in September 2019 suspended Kuznetsov three games without pay for "inappropriate conduct," less than a month after he was banned from playing for Russia for four years because of a positive test for cocaine.

Kuznetsov more recently entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in February. Upon him being cleared by program administrators to practice, the Capitals put him on waivers with the hope of giving him a fresh start and subsequently sent him to the minors.

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

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