The Carolina Hurricanes placed Evgeny Kuznetsov on unconditional waivers this past Wednesday in order to terminate his NHL contract, marking a sudden conclusion to the career of the skilled but inconsistent center.
Kuznetsov still had $6 million remaining of his $8 million salary for the final season of his seven-year, $64.2 million deal signed in 2017. He will walk away from that, plus keep a $2 million bonus received earlier this month.
General manager Eric Tulsky stated, “Ultimately both sides agreed this was the best course of action for both the player and the team. We thank Evgeny for his time with the team and wish him and his family the best.”
Earlier reports indicated Kuznetsov was considering mutually terminating his contract to join SKA Saint Petersburg in the KHL. For this to occur now, he and his representatives had to agree, or the Hurricanes would have had to wait for a buyout window later in the summer.
Craig Oster, Kuznetsov’s agent, did not respond to requests for comment on Wednesday regarding the mutual termination or his client’s future.
Meanwhile, the Hurricanes completed a two-year, $3.45 million contract with Jack Drury on Wednesday and still need to negotiate a contract for Seth Jarvis with about $13 million in salary cap space remaining.
“Jack took significant steps last season to establish himself as a key part of our forward group,” Tulsky said of Drury. “He is a hard worker at both ends of the ice and can be relied upon in all situations. We look forward to seeing his continued growth in Carolina.”
The Hurricanes are anticipating growth from their young forwards after an offseason that saw several changes, including the departures of Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teravainen, Stefan Noesen, and now Kuznetsov.
