Evgeny Kuznetsov’s return to the KHL after wrapping up his NHL career in 2023-24 has not gone exceptionally smoothly, and it’s off to a rocky start in the 2025-26 season.
After scoring 12 goals and 37 points in 39 games with SKA St. Petersburg in 2024-25, he joined Metallurg Magnitogorsk this season and has not scored, while putting up five assists in his first eight games.
However, it’s what happened on Wednesday that stood out.
The 33-year-old Kuztensov warmed up and played early shifts in Metallurg’s 4-0 loss to Ak Bars Kazan, but disappeared from the bench at the 5:19 mark of the second period, before being seen behind the glass in a team hoodie, without his gear.
In just over five minutes of ice time, the NHL veteran wasn’t able to muster any offense, and lost each of his five contests in the faceoff circle while centering the team’s second line.
Metallurg’s head coach, Andrei Razin, responded with “next question, no comment,” in Russian, when asked about Kuztensov’s early removal from the game. Earlier in the season, he expressed his displeasure with Kuznetsov’s level as a reason for not giving the 2019 Stanley Cup champion opportunities on the man advantage.
“We give power play [time] to those who are ready to play on the power play today,” Razin said at that point. “We don’t give them the chance to play on the power play. So far, Evgeny hasn’t satisfied us with his power play.”
While the Russian center started the season at a solid clip with four assists in five games, his lack of offensive punch has seen him fall out of favor with the head coach in his one-year contract, which pays him around $125k, as well as a $1.25 million bonus should he finish among the league’s top three scorers.
In 743 NHL games, Kuztensov scored 173 goals and 575 points, and played all but 20 of his games with the Washington Capitals, having wrapped up his NHL tenure with a brief stint with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2024-25.
Metallurg’s return to action on Nov. 3 against the Shanghai Dragons, led by veteran NHL head coach Gerrard Gallant.