Hurricanes Acquire Evgeny Kuznetsov from Capitals

Just one day after acquiring Jake Guentzel from the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Carolina Hurricanes are at it again. Per multiple sources, the Canes are acquiring center Evgeny Kuznetsov from the Washington Capitals in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick. Along with that, the Capitals are retaining half of Kuznetsov's salary.

Pending trading call, Evgeni Kuznetsov is being traded to the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2025 third-round pick.
Washington is retaining 50 percent on Kuznetsov (one more year next season at a $7.8 M AAV)
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) March 8, 2024

Kuznetsov was recently waived and then demoted by the Capitals after being cleared to return from the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. It is clear that the veteran forward has been in need of a change of scenery for quite some time, and now he is finally getting it with this trade to the Hurricanes.

Kuznetsov should benefit from this move to the Hurricanes, as he will have plenty of excellent players to work with. Along with that, the trade rumors that were surrounding him for years have finally come to an end, and that could also help his production go back up.

Kuznetsov should be a strong addition to the Hurricanes' top nine as they look to go on a real run during the postseason. With the Capitals retaining half of Kuznetsov's salary, this move does not offer too much risk for the Hurricanes.

In 43 games this season with the Capitals, Kuznetsov has six goals to go along with 17 points and a minus-11 rating.