Evgeny Kuznetsov clears waivers, becomes highest-salaried player in AHL history

Washington Capitals’ forward Evgeny Kuznetsov has cleared waivers and will report to the Hershey Bears in the AHL. The Russian forward has been having a down year and the team thinks he could use a stint in the minors. He is set to become the highest-salaried player to ever suit up in the AHL.

This season, Kuznetsov has scored six goals and 17 points in 43 games for the Capitals. Nearly every player on the Capitals has been underwhelming this season and Kuznetsov is no exception. He’s on pace for just 32 points over an 82-game season which would be the lowest offensive output of his entire career.

Kuznetsov is set to join the Bears for the time being and could remain there for their playoff run, as they currently sit in first place in the AHL’s Atlantic Division and could be poised for a long playoff run. The Bears’ extraordinary goaltending has been the main reason why they’ve been so good in the regular season but they could definitely use some offensive help down the stretch.

Kuznetsov has never played a single game in the AHL in his career as he went straight from the KHL to the NHL four years after he was drafted. This move by the team to place the veteran centerman on waivers must have been quite the shock to him but it’s unlikely that this is the last we’ve seen of Kuznetsov in the NHL. The 31-year-old has one year remaining on his contract after this season, costing $7.8 million against the salary cap and paying him $8 million in real money.

The Capitals are a team that needs to make some big decisions in the near future. They’re paying a lot of money for veteran forwards but they aren’t a contender and probably won’t even make the playoffs anytime soon. The question of whether they should rebuild, retool, or keep loading up is one that will decide the fate of the franchise.