Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov, who was placed on waivers by the team on Saturday, went unclaimed by the remaining 31 teams in the league and is now officially assigned to the Capitals AHL affiliate Hershey Bears.
Kuznetsov clears
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) March 3, 2024
The NHL and NHLPA announced on February 5 that Kuznetsov was unavailable to his Club for an indefinite period while he received care from the Player Assistance Program of the NHLPA and NHL. Kuznetsov officially returned to the team on Saturday, March 2, but was subsequently placed on waivers by the Capitals.
#Caps loan forward Evgeny Kuznetsov to the Hershey Bears (AHL).
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) March 3, 2024
Kuznetsov has had his worst season to date, tallying just six goals and 17 points in 43 games and has not played since January 27.
Monumental Sports is reporting that Kuznetsov fully intends to report to Hershey, and could begin skating as early as Monday.
Ultimately Kuznetsov is likely to be traded in the coming days, with the Capitals having to retain some percentage of his salary, or provide an additional player to sweeten the deal. If a team had claimed Kuznetsov off of waivers, they would have assumed the entirety of his $7.8 million per season deal.
By Jon Sorensen
