Photo credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
Before the NHL Draft and the opening of free agency, several rumors linked Evgeny Kuznetsov to the Montreal Canadiens.
The Habs ultimately chose Joe Veleno as a left-handed center, a decision that was certainly more conservative than signing the enigmatic 33-year-old Russian forward.
Several teams reportedly showed interest in Evgeny Kuznetsov this summer
We are now at the beginning of September, and the former Washington Capitals player is still without a contract, whether in the KHL or the NHL.
The forward’s agent even confirmed that he had been in contact with more than 10 teams this summer.
“Everything is still at the discussion stage.
There are several teams we have spoken to, more than 10 teams.
With some, it was positive, but others declined.”
– Shumi Babaev
It is now worth asking: were the Habs one of those 10 teams?
Kent Hughes reportedly inquired about Ivan Demidov‘s former teammateAs the excellent Marco D’Amico from RG Media mentioned earlier this summer, the Habs did indeed show interest in Kuznetsov.In the end, the insider and journalist noted that the Habs still had confidence in Kirby Dach to center the second line, but they wanted insurance on the left side.
They ultimately got it with Joe Veleno and not Kuznetsov.
It will be interesting to see where Kuznetsov ends up in the coming weeks.
At a low salary, it’s certain that a team will want to take a chance on a player who has 743 NHL games and over 575 points in the NHL.
So it’s interesting to learn that yes, the Montreal Canadiens did indeed contact Kuznetsov, but no, it obviously didn’t lead to an official signing.
Previously on HabsFanatics
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Canadiens Reportedly Reached Out to Evgeny Kuznetsov Before Opting for Joe Veleno
Which one is the best choice for the Montreal Canadiens, in your opinion?