If any deal this offseason seemed loud and sensational, forget it: There is unlikely to be a more shocking transition this summer than Evgeny Kuznetsov’s upcoming appearance at SKA.
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Evgeny Kuznetsov will return to Russia and sign a multi-year contract with SKA
It is shocking for several reasons.
Perhaps the first of them is the surprise. The story of the forward’s return to Russia has just emerged almost out of nowhere and fell on us like snow in the middle of summer. Agree, few expected to see Evgeniy in the KHL next season – despite all his problems in recent years, there was still some demand for him in North America, and the Russian still seemed to have to sort out the year left on his contract. Unless the decision to part ways is primarily the initiative of the club and not the player, which does not seem to be the case yet.
Eleven years ago, the world was shocked by the transfer of Ilya Kovalchuk to SKA after the termination of his long-term contract with New Jersey, so it would be difficult to call Kuznetsov’s case unprecedented. Although there is still one nuance: Evgeniy’s salary is divided between two clubs, and does this mean that in the event of a mutually agreed parting with Carolina, Washington will also be able to breathe freely with $3.9 million more?
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The second reason for the impact of the transition is its scale. It is not often that players of Kuznetsov’s level come to the KHL (although he was not able to consistently maintain this level abroad) at a not-so-respectable age. It is difficult to argue with the fact that Evgeniy is a maestro who will definitely make our league brighter. Even in the darkest times of the NHL, Kuznetsov’s magic manifested itself and we have the right to expect it again at domestic venues.
The third reason is the striker’s future place of work. It is no secret which club acquired Kuznetsov’s rights from Traktor seven years ago, but they have not been active for a long time. And yet, the path of hockey led Evgeni to St. Petersburg.
And shock, replaced by resentment and anger, is primarily for Chelyabinsk fans. One of the leading Russian forges of hockey talents has long been waiting for the return of perhaps the brightest of its students of the 21st century. And Kuznetsov himself wanted to be in Traktor if he returned to Russia, which he last spoke about not so long ago. However, fate decreed otherwise: Evgeniy will probably still have the opportunity to play in Chelyabinsk in the shirt of his native club, but the attitude towards him from now on will be different.
Evgeny Kuznetsov in “Traktor”
Photo by: RIA Novosti
And finally, the motivation of the attacker himself is not clear. SKA’s position here is quite clear: one of the best Russian centre-backs comes to the club from the banks of the Neva, who should become one of the main (if not the main) stars of the league. The only KHL player who has reached a level close to that shown by Kuznetsov in his prime is now approaching retirement, while Evgeniy has a few more years left to shine in Russia.
But why did the forward choose SKA to continue his career? The city factor probably played a role, but there must be something else. Increased interest from the club? It is doubtful that the same “Traktor” would not try to do everything possible to acquire Kuznetsov if such an opportunity arose. Money? For his sake, it was worth staying in the NHL, where his salary was almost the same as the entire available payroll of the KHL Club. Yes, and in St. Petersburg there are still problems with finances at our free disposal, which should become even greater with the arrival of Evgeniy. But there is no doubt that SKA, like any law-abiding club, will meet the set limit in the required time.
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Perhaps Kuznetsov was attracted by the ambitions of the army team? The Gagarin Cup has not been seen in the Northern capital since 2017, the same year when the rights to the centre-forward were found there. And in recent years, the club has become a hostage to these very ambitions: the desire to form a dream team on paper for several seasons ends in failure for the St. Petersburg team. This off-season, SKA is again trying to form a dream team – considering that Kuznetsov’s invitation will probably not be the last, it will be interesting to see what the legs of this colossus are made of.
At the same time, Evgeniy, like other high-status newcomers to the club, must remember that there is no point in relaxing there: even the most desirable players can become persona non grata in the blink of an eye. SKA has had its own assistance program for several years now. But Kuznetsov’s result depends only on him.
