Kuznetsov Reflects On Trade From Capitals & 'Grateful' For Second Chance With Hurricanes, Says Game 6 Loss Stings More Than Usual

For former Washington Capitals and current Carolina Hurricanes forward Evgeny Kuznetsov, the 2023-24 season was more than just another season; it was a second chance, and likely, his last chance.

Kuznetsov saw that chance come to a bitter end on Thursday, as Chris Kreider and the New York Rangers managed a third-period comeback to eliminate Kuznetsov and the Hurricanes in six games and move on to the Eastern Conference Final.

For Kuznetsov, the loss stings a bit more than it has in the past.

"I don't usually care that long for the game, and I don't usually think about the game for that long, but man, that game is still in my head," Kuznetsov told reporters on Saturday morning. "It's something that I'll probably need to do something with for sure... for me personally, it sucked."

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Kuznetsov also explained that it was harder considering how simple it felt to win back in 2018 with Washington.

"When we won, it was super easy. Everything was clicking, every day you come, click, this, this, that, when I look back, it was just so excited, so easy actually," Kuznetsov said. "Maybe it's not one of those moments when we clicked yet. Maybe when it's clicking, you just enjoying it every day and everybody's executing their roles and stuff like that."

Looking back at the year as a whole, which included an inconsistent start with Washington, time in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, waivers, a stint in Hershey and an abrupt trade to the Hurricanes on deadline day, the 31-year-old said he was thankful for the opportunity he was given and learned a lot.

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His favorite memories and takeaways from the year include his practices in Hershey and the 12-hour bus ride with the Bears to Charlotte, as well as the day he was traded and ended up at Hurricanes practice shortly after flying to Raleigh.

"It was a beautiful opportunity for me," Kuznetsov said. "I wanted to thank the people that made that happen. It was in both sides, and me trying to be me and trying to help the team win. Unfortunately, it's a little sour taste right at the end of the year."

It's unclear what the road ahead looks like for Kuznetsov, but at the end of the day, he was happy to get his second chance.

"That's a lot of emotions right now," he added. "I'm very grateful for the opportunity to be here and still playing NHL. It's just hard to kind of put the words together because I'm still mentally in that Game 6."