Evgeny Kuznetsov needed this fresh start with the Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes have been making all sorts of splashes that we aren’t used to seeing them make. Adding rentals is not something that they typically do but they see things differently these days. 

On Thursday night, they completed a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins that sent Jake Guentzel to Carolina. It is a blockbuster trade that most people would agree favors the Hurricanes at this time. They are getting an all-world scorer and didn’t give up much in terms of value. 

Now, on Friday, they made another big trade in terms of a name. Evgeny Kuznetsov is going to be a Hurricane after they completed a deal for him with the Washington Capitals. A 3rd round pick in 2025 is going back to the Caps. They are also retaining 50% of his contract which runs through the end of next season. 

This is a trade that Kuznetsov needed to happen. He is an all-time great Capital and was a top-flight piece for them when they won the Stanley Cup in 2018. However, things haven’t been amazing over the last few years. 

The Washington Capitals traded Evgeny Kuznetsov to the Carolina Hurricanes

There have been some off-ice issues going on and he was eventually put on waivers by Washington. He then became the highest-paid player to ever appear in an AHL game (without being a conditioning stint) when he played for the Hershey Bears. 

In his career, Kuznetsov has 171 goals and 397 assists for 568 points in 723 games played. He has been more of a playmaker than a sniper in his career but he can score some goals, especially in the clutch.

Now he will get a fresh start with the Canes. These days, he is a considerably better passer than anything else and he is also very good at killing penalties.

The Hurricanes are going for it and Kuznetsov could end up being a big piece in the playoffs. It is up to him to be an impact player for them.