Any rumors indicating that forward Evgeny Kuznetsov could pursue another opportunity in the NHL have now been put to bed, at least for the next calendar year. According to multiple reports from Russia, Kuznetsov has signed a one-year deal with the KHL’s Sibir Novosibirsk.
In many ways, Kuznetsov’s return to the KHL has followed a similar trajectory to his NHL career. He had a solid season in his first year back, scoring 12 goals and 37 points in 39 games for SKA St. Petersburg, with a +13 rating. He also added a goal and two assists in six postseason contests.
Signing with the Metallurg Magnitogorsk last offseason, Kuznetsov eventually parted ways with them after registering one goal and nine points in 15 games. He finished the 2025-26 season with the Salavat Yulaev Ufa, scoring six goals and 18 points in 19 games. Despite a strong finish to the season, Kuznetsov’s market did not develop, leading him to wait until now to sign his next contract. Simply put, regardless of his on-ice performance, teams didn’t have much interest in adding Kuznetsov to the equation.
Looking back on his NHL career, that’s about how long it took for teams to lose interest in him. Kuznetsov last had a productive NHL season with the Washington Capitals during the 2022-23 campaign, finishing with 12 goals and 55 points in 82 games.
The next season, it got off to a disappointing start with the Capitals, registering six goals and 17 points in 43 games. Eventually, after spending nearly a month in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, Washington traded Kuznetsov to the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2025 third-round pick. His on-ice production didn’t get much better with the Hurricanes, and Kuznetsov departed for Russia the following summer after failing to attract much interest on the free agent market.