The Washington Capitals have positioned ahead Evgeni Kuznetsov on waivers.
Information of the choice got here down Saturday, simply hours after the middle was cleared to renew practising as he entered the follow-up care part of the NHL/NHLPA help program. Kuznetsov entered this system Feb. 6 and has missed Washington’s previous 12 video games.
It is unclear why Kuznetsov, 31, entered this system. Groups usually are not instructed particulars of a participant’s absence due to confidentiality guidelines.
He’s within the penultimate season of his eight-year, $64.5 million contract that features a no-trade clause.
If Kuznetsov clears waivers Sunday, it should permit the Capitals to reassign him to the American Hockey League’s Hershey Bears. Kuznetsov was as soon as a top-tier ahead however has struggled to provide offensively lately and has simply 17 factors in 43 appearances this season.
“It is a couple of recent begin for Kuzy, to start with,” Capitals GM Brian MacLellan mentioned Saturday. “He is been in search of a change in setting and this may set the wheels in movement for that to be achieved.”
At his peak, Kuznetsov was Washington’s main scorer on its run to a Stanley Cup championship in 2018, placing up 12 targets and 32 factors by way of 24 playoff video games. In 2019, the Russian-born skater was suspended with out pay for 3 regular-season video games by the NHL for “inappropriate conduct,” lower than a month after he was banned from enjoying for Russia internationally for 4 years due to a optimistic take a look at for cocaine.
The Related Press contributed to this story.