"Finished officially" "Back to Russia to party" - NHL fans react as Hurricanes place Evgeny Kuznetsov on unconditional waivers

On Wednesday, news surfaced indicating that the Carolina Hurricanes had placed Evgeny Kuznetsov on unconditional waivers. The news, posted by NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, was corroborated by various other sources, with the Hurricanes' PR account confirming the news with a statement from team GM Eric Tulsky.

Kuznetsov is considered by many, including the Nashville Predators GM Barry Trotz, to be a brilliant player with a high IQ and incredibly accurate passes. Despite that, his off-ice problems have plagued his career in recent years and have been considered a contributing factor in his decline.

The NHL community was quick to react to the news:

"Bros finished officially," one fan wrote.

"Back to Russia to party!!" another added.

"Unlimited free Coca-Cola in Russia is too hard to pass up!" a fan joked.

Others weighed in on how the news will impact the Hurricanes.

"Carolina getting bailed out again," one fan wrote.

"Cap bailout lmao. He’s probably gonna get a bag in rubles over there too. I love the salary cap," another added.

Others wished him well with his future endeavors:

"Was nice watching you Kuzy, go rip up the Kontinental," one fan wrote.

"Criminal he never won the Selke," another fan added.

In 2019, Kuznetsov was suspended for cocaine use after a video surfaced in which lines of cocaine were seen on a table where he was sitting.

This season, in February, reports emerged indicating that Evgeny Kuznetsov had entered into the NHL Player Assistance Program. At the time, details about his admittance to the program remained scarce, with Capitals coach Spencer Carbery saying that even he and the team were left in the dark regarding the matter.

After a month in the program, Kuznetsov was cleared by the NHL to return to practice. However, shortly after the Capitals decided to waive him, the two-time All-Star signed with the Capitals' AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears.

Just four days later, Kuznetsov was traded to the Hurricanes. Now, the team has placed him on unconditional waivers by the team on Wednesday.

Looking at Evgeny Kuznetsov's future after parting ways with the Hurricanes

While many were surprised by Evgeny Kuznetsov being placed on unconditional waivers, it sounds like the forward already has his next steps lined up. According to a report earlier in the week, which quoted Kuznetsov's agent, Shumi Babayev, he is preparing to join the KHL.

In a Russian-speaking interview with Championat, Babayev said that KHL team SKA Saint Petersburg had already expressed interest in signing Kuznetsov.

"I would be glad if Evgeny comes back, he will strengthen the KHL and he will be a star in the league, but it's too early to say that he will return to SKA or some other team. We are friends and communicate all the time; he is hungry for hockey and wants to enjoy the game."

Now, on the heels of the Hurricanes placing Evgeny Kuznetsov on unconditional waivers, it seems likely that he will return to play in Russia's KHL league.

Before joining the Washington Capitals for the 2013-14 season, Kuznetsov spent five seasons playing in the KHL for the Traktor Chelyabinsk.