Former Capitals Stanley Cup Champion Evgeny Kuznetsov Leaves KHL Club Abruptly
Evgeny Kuznetsov and his KHL team, Novosibirsk Sibir, have agreed to a mutual contract termination after just 8 games this season ❌️
Per his agent, it was Kuznetsov's request to be released due to family circumstances.
Since returning to Russia in 2024, Kuznetsov has played… pic.twitter.com/QFit2Drkv3
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) October 2, 2026
Kuznetsov finished his career in the NHL during the 2023-24 season after the Capitals traded him to the Carolina Hurricanes for a third-round pick in 2025. The Capitals received a pick in compensation as they retained 50% of his salary.
His career in the NHL would never reach the level it did during the Capitals only Stanley Cup run during the 2017-18 season where he scored 83 points (27 goals, 56 assists) in 79 games.
With the Hurricanes, he was a depth option playing a limited role and only 20 games, scoring seven points (two goals, five assists) with six penalty minutes.
Return To The KHL
After playing his last season in the NHL with the Carolina Hurricanes, Kuznetsov found a home back in the KHL, restarting his career overseas in 2024-25 with SKA St. Petersburg, where he played 39 games, scoring 37 points (12 goals, 25 assists), and playing six games in the Gagarin Cup playoffs, scoring three points (one goal, two assists).
He's suited up for four different teams each season in the league since his return, including the Magnitogorsk Metallurg, UFA Salavat Yulayev, and Sibir.
The former 1st-round pick in 2010 hasn't been able to put up a consistent scoring profile in Russia since his return.
Could this be the end of his professional hockey career?