Evgeny Kuznetsov has chance to ‘find himself’ after coming to Carolina Hurricanes
Dmitry Orlov has known Evgeny Kuznetsov since they were both 16 years old and said the two are close friends.
They grew up in Russia playing hockey together. They were teammates and roommates with the Washington Capitals. They won a Stanley Cup together with the Caps in 2018, celebrated together.
When Kuznetsov was struggling with personal problems off the ice, Orlov was there, supportive, encouraging, understanding, always the close friend.
Now, they are teammates again.
Kuznetsov was traded Friday to the Carolina Hurricanes, putting in his first practice – if abbreviated – with his new team before flying off with the Canes to New Jersey. Kuznetsov and Orlov were to be in the lineup Saturday in the road game against the Devils.
“It’s like it’s meant to be.” Kuznetsov said Friday.
What kind of player is Kuznetsov, Orlov was asked.
“Unbelievable,” Orlov said, looking toward Kuznetsov being surrounded by media on the other end of the locker room at Invisalign Arena.
“We’ve had a lot of good memories and I’m happy to see him here. It hasn’t been as a good a season for him this year. Finally now he can turn the page and try to find himself again.
“He’s still a good player. He’s still a good person. He will help this team.”
It has been a tough go this season for Kuznetsov, 31, who had put up six goals and 11 assists (17 points) in 43 games with the Caps. He took a leave of absence on Feb. 6 when he entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, not publicly disclosing his issue.
Kuznetov was suspended by the NHL in 2019 for what the league called “inappropriate conduct.” He earlier had received a four-year ban from playing in Russia after testing positive for cocaine, according to a CBC report.
Kuznetsov owned up to his personal mistakes Friday in talking to the media, saying that coming to the Hurricanes might amount to his “last chance” in the NHL.
“Sometimes, we’ve all seen situations where it takes a pretty strong wakeup call,” Canes president and general manager Don Waddell said Friday. “His attitude and his makeup right now, I think coming here is really going to help him.”
Kuznetsov first met Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour during the 2022 NHL All-Star Game, when Brind’Amour headed up the Metro Division team. His impression of Kuznetsov was positive, he said.
“With Kuznetsov there’s an opportunity here,” Brind’Amour said Friday. “We know the talent. Hopefully we can bring it out of him.”
Many younger Russian players have modeled their games and playing styles after that of Kuznetsov, always a crafty, skillful playmaker in his career and a sneaky good scorer, but also effective in all three zones on the ice.
One was the Canes’ Andrei Svechnikov, who has mentioned Kuznetsov often since being drafted seventh overall by Carolina in 2018. It’s easy to think Svechnikov would pattern his play more after the Caps’ Alex Ovechkin, he of the power game and big shot, but it was Kuznetsov’s game Svechnikov really admired.
“For sure I looked up to him a lot, especially when I just got to the league,” Svechnikov said Friday. “I was so young and he had already played in the NHL for several years and was one of the best players in the league. I’ve always liked the way he plays.
“And now he’s here. It’s very exciting to see him here. I can’t wait to play with him and just spend time with him.”
While Kuznetsov is ready to jump in and play, the Canes must wait a bit longer for forward Jake Guentzel, who was considered the top goal-scorer available leading up to Friday’s trade deadline. Guentzel is recovering from an oblique injury, Waddell said Friday – an injury that sidelined Svechnikov this season.
“I think our top six (forwards) will be as good as any in the league right now,” Svechnikov said. “Maybe not the best but one of them, for sure. It’s going to be fun as they learn the system and we get ready for the playoffs.”
Having won a Cup, Kuznetsov has a good feel for all that goes into winning one.
“The biggest takeaway from that Cup run is every player accepted the role he played on the team, and we all were working as one unit,” Kuznetsov said. “Everybody was performing, everybody was competing.”
Orlov said adding Guentzel and Kuznetsov could lead to some changes in the Canes’ playing style.
“Maybe a little bit,” he said. “We might make more plays in the offensive zone, not just shoot the puck all the time. With the high-skill players, it should work out good and it should be fun to watch. I can’t wait.”
Brind’Amour, for one, knows there’s much to be done in the final 20 games of the season.
“Everyone’s all kumbaya now, right?” he said Friday. “We have to get to work. There’s going to be guys having to move around a little and figure out how it all fits right to do the ultimate thing, which is be the best team. I mean, that’s what we’re trying to do.”
