Why Evgeny Kuznetsov Was Never on Maple Leafs Radar

Any talk that Evgeny Kuznetsov was likely on the radar of the Toronto Maple Leafs was put to rest on Thursday as Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reported that Kuznetsov is set to arrive in Russia this week and will likely sign a deal in the KHL.

Silber writes:

Former Washington Capitals [and Carolina Hurricanes] center Evgeny Kuznetsov’s offseason saga appears to officially be coming to a close, as he is reportedly set to return to Russia and sign in the KHL. Per MatchTV, Kuznetsov will arrive in St. Petersburg on Friday and sign a four-year contract with SKA on Friday.

In an article published on July 24, Jesse Courville-Lynch of The Hockey Writers suggested that the Maple Leafs should sign Kuznetsov following his contract termination with the Carolina Hurricanes. He wrote:

“There was a belief he could opt to join the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in Russia, but a recent report states that he could end up back in the NHL this upcoming season… Bringing in Kuznetsov allows the Maple Leafs to experiment with their lineup a bit too.”

Signing with Toronto — or any contender, for that matter — was a long shot at best. When you consider Kuznetsov was only going to join another NHL team for a certain amount of money and the Leafs didn’t have it to give, the link didn’t make sense. The same could be said for a number of top teams in the NHL who watch as Kuznetsov and the Hurricanes mutually agreed to walk away from each other.

What player walks away from a contract in Carolina for $6 million only to join the Maple Leafs for a fraction of that amount? It didn’t make sense, and Silber’s report confirms it was never on the Leafs or Kuznetsov’s radar.

Reports Kuznetsov Was Open To Another NHL Contract Likely Misleading

Kuznetsov’s agent, Gennady Babayev, clarified in an interview with Russian outlet RB Sport on July 23 that multiple NHL teams had expressed interest in Kuznetsov. Still, his client was likely to continue his career in the KHL. “There is still interest in Evgeny Kuznetsov from 15 NHL clubs,” Babayev said. “He has not made a final decision yet.” It sounds like any conversations with the 15 teams went nowhere and his final decision came pretty quickly.

The agent’s goal in saying Kuznetsov was flexible was likely a last-ditch effort to see if an NHL club came forward. If there was a good offer on the table, Kuznetsov would consider it. When there wasn’t, he moved on.

Babayev emphasized that Kuznetsov’s primary goal is to play hockey and be trusted by his team, noting that Kuznetsov is still in good physical shape and has many years left in his career. That said, NHL teams weren’t willing to pay for his services when the KHL had an offer on the table.

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