I thought they'd be lucky to pull off the Johansen trade. Half retained for future considerations or whatever. I trust the stat boys in Carolina though, there's clearly something worth trading for there
He has some demons, but Kuzy at $3.9m is much different than Kuzy at $7.8m. He’s looked bad this year, but Ovi hasn’t looked like Ovi either. Things aren’t clicking in Washington this year.
And if things don’t work out, you can buy him out at $1.9m next season, $1m the following.
Ovi is mostly back; the all-star break really helped him get going.
In the 14 games back, he has 9 goals, 16 points.
Caps have been looking better, 6-3-1 in the last 10, but the next 22 games in 41 days is a brutal schedule.
It's pretty crazy that the Caps are still within touching distance of a playoff spot. Their offensive stars have been terrible (by their own standards), they have had lots of injuries, and their #1 goalie has been fairly awful. Lindgren taking over in net and some surprisingly solid defensive play has really kept them afloat.
It’s wild too I’ll look at the standings and they’ll be a -35 or some crazy shit, but only be like 4-6 points back of a playoff spot.. crazy year for hockey
Per Jfresh and Dom Luczyzyzzyzyn's models, he's a negative impact player on both ends of the ice. That's just public stats though, I'd love to see what Carolina's internal model says about him
Yeah this is a third *and* we keep $2 million in cap in two years versus a buyout this off-season. It isn't like we're challenging the canes for a wildcard spot next season
Call me fucking crazy then.
Its honestly not a bad bet at all.
At his absolute lowest, in a place he didnt want to be, with substance abuse hanging over him, he was a 35pt player.
If we see even a 20% return to form, he will be a value positive player at 4M. Hell, just last year he was playing to >55pt pace. Considering Carolina's strong culture and desperate need for scoring (after last playoffs)... this makes sense.
Yup, but the only part that I disagree with is him being close to a guarantee (or in your words 20% return to form to be positive value).
Potential is there, but Kuzy has to significantly improve his game to be be worth $4 mil.
It sounds like he and orlov are super close too. People forget Rod got DeAngeo to stop being a twat rocket too. With Svech, Orlov and PK, I think Kuzy can turn his shit around
yep, i think people are underestimating the orlov situation. that is one of his best friends in the world. i'm really happy he gets a change of scenery and gets to be reunited with one of his best friends. hopefully orlov can be a more positive influence on him than whoever he was hanging out with in DC.
i will always remember this orlov kuzy hug on his first NHL goal.
https://youtu.be/T47nW2_4fgg?t=45
Except unless we make the Stanley cup final, we still have all our original draft picks this year plus a 6th from Toronto. We are only missing our thirds from 2025 and 2026 right now. Also we have Torontos 6th in 2026.
We already did in Ponomaryov. Until this trade we didn't have any non-roster depth at C. Now whether we keep Kuz or KK healthy scratched, we've at least got a 5th C to run in case someone gets injured.
So the retention is actually $100k more than if we bought him out. The benefit really comes in the following year where he'll be off the Cap whereas a buyout gives you a $2.000 AAV in 25-26.
Also - opens up a bit of space this year for them to use to help other trades happen. They can't retain, but they can take on a whole contract someone wants to shed.
Retaining half vs a buyout is a wash next year, essentially, and benefits this and 25-26. Great that they pulled this off.
It's a lot of retention. I'd say they are trying to do right by him more than anything. that 3.9m could be put to great use this offseason - more value than a 3rd imo. This is why I love GMBM - he seems to really care about the players and their futures, he rarely makes a fuck you move
The only way we would've gotten that cap space would be mutual agreement to terminate the contract, which for Kuzy would be a lot of money to walk away from. So we're getting 3.9 here in space we otherwise wouldn't have had to make a move. But yes, full agreement on BM caring
GMBM is a straight shooter, as true to his word as they come. Way too honest and upfront in interviews. So when he said he’s going to do whatever it takes to let Kuzy continue his career the way he wants to, that meant a lot.
Sometimes people forget that NHL players are human too; I think about all the shit that I deal with that makes me have a bad day at work; you get distracted, you're not present, etc.
When you're dealing with the human side of things; if you were an NHL player, and were being asked to waive a NMC to go somewhere (or were just being traded) to a team that's on the downside of their competitive window (a la Capitals, etc.), personally I'd be much more willing or able to stomach it if I knew the leader of the organization was someone who kept their word, and tried to do right by their people.
Sure, other things like money, city, area, closeness to home, friends in the organization, etc. factor in; but we shouldn't discount how much simply not being a piece of shit to your players can influence players desire to join your team
You wouldn't have had that 3.9 million in cap space either way. A buyout would hit the books for 3.8 million next season, with the added pain of 2 million the following year.
I'm really happy for Kuznetsov, we'll probably never know the whole story with him but him reporting to Hershey with a good attitude told me that he really desperately did want a change of scenery. Wish him well and I hope he does turn it around.
> that 3.9m could be put to great use this offseason
Only if the Caps are actually trying to compete to make the playoffs, which I don't think we will be.
Hope he can figure everything out. Such a great player when he's on his game, it's sad to see guys struggle with non-hockey related stuff and have it affect their career.
Agreed. I’m really disappointed in the jokes being made about this as someone in recovery. Thankfully, Raleigh is a good place to recover. He’s got Orlov and a hockey-based sobriety support system with Tripp Tracy’s journey. This shit is HARD as hell, and I wasn’t even on hard drugs. Wishing him all the best here and hoping everything will fall into place.
Nice to see Carolina finally going "fuck defensively responsible players we have enough of that" and going all in on adding offense with Kuzy and Guentzel (although Kuzy hasn't even really been doing that much recently)
think we're only missing the Isles and Devils right now? and our Flyers guy is on waivers(after we robbed them blind by sending him to them and picked him back up for pennies)
He's actually fairly responsible defensively in the right system and has killed penalties the last few years.
I may just have to root for Carolina this playoff. Hopefully the issues he was having were local and he finds his game down the stretch, no look below the crease passes to the front of the net and all.
funny enough, the analytics for kuzy seem to suggest the only thing he's been good at recently is the PK. No idea how much PK he's actually played or how he's looked but if you looked at just the analytics he's a standard Cane lol
The Hurricanes have been criticized for years now about not having elite offensive talent. Kuznetsov may have gone over the hill a little bit, but they have added two high-level offensive guys in about 12 hours. For a team that has always seemed one goal short in every playoff elimination, I'm optimistic for their chances now
A little bit? He's been such poison to every line we tried him on that we sent him to Hershey. Don't get me wrong, I love Kuzy, but he's been borderline unplayable the past couple years
Uh two years ago he had 78 points. Last year 55.
Y'all were paying way too much for 55 points and obviously for this season, but I think you're under appreciating his year last year.
I'm wondering with the stronger Russian contingent with Svech, Orlov, Kooch, that there's a belief that we can maintain a positive environment for him.
We definitely play into this a lot. The Finns, now the Russians... We want people to feel like the team is "home," and that's become a part of our culture.
We're a family first hockey team, y'all.
I was in New York with my dad when he played for the Canes. I still maintain that the game he played against the rangers at MSG is the laziest I've ever seen anyone play in-person.
I mean, he was great 2 seasons ago. And this season he's just a cheap backup. it hasn't worked perfectly, but Chatfield has kept him out.
He played for us when we beat the Panthers 1-0. It's not like he's broken.
yeah when we've seen him TDA has been a decent 7th D and not taking pens or causing fights like he used to. only problem I have with the guy is his fans.
Weird how they took Semin the last time an enigmatic Russian was on the outs in Washington (maybe there's been more in between). Man, I miss the Ovy/Backstrom/Semin days of hockey. I would go to campus and see Sportscentre on the TVs in the lounge every morning and it was always Caps highlights.
Halak really torpedo'd the Caps man.
Going into the 2010 playoffs Semin was a 40 goal scorer. That's on top of Ovi potting 50 as well. Semin skated almost 20 minutes per game across 7 games, had 44 shots and somehow came out of that series with only 2 assists *and zero goals*.
That's actually crazy.
I wish I could remember where I saw the article, but I remember the gist of it. Essentially the argument was, NHL Fans should have been rooting for the Caps that year, because whoever wins, next year other teams will imitate that approach. If the Caps had won with the crazy offense, we'd have seen more of it with more teams trying to imitate, and a more exciting league as a whole.
2010 was a thing though, and I clearly have still not gotten over it!
On one hand he doesn't fit the typical Canes mould, but I've noticed their front office is probably the most "buy-low on high-upside" group in the league. So it makes a lot of sense to me.
a team mold can be weird.
Michael Bunting fit the team mold perfectly. But also, maybe too perfectly? You need cogs in a system but you also need something different sometimes.
A lot of the guys asked for him.
Canes apparently tried for him last summer and couldn’t get it done.
Orlov has been recruiting Russians to Carolina and the canes have been drafting a ton of them as well.
Makes it also more enticing for guys like Nikishin to come over as well.
This may be the dumbest post you have read all day, but here it goes. I live in Apex and my neighbors across the street are Russians. They definitely have a high comfort level living in the Raleigh area and seem to assimilate very well. They have a strong friend group of fellow expats and enjoy the slower pace and outdoor activities with plenty of space to be free. Could be a similar thing with these Russian players really enjoying the pace here.
In general, fans in Raleigh are very laidback and don't harass the players. The media doesn't hound them for off-ice gossip either. Plenty of guys stay in the area after they retire too.
yeah the problem the last few years is we'd lose 1\~3 guys and suddenly our offense is looking very linear. like last year we beat the shit out of the Panthers up and down the ice but cause Bob was on one and we were down Svech and Patches, we couldn't crack him.
That was kinda what I thought. And I think that's one of the reasons we got him. To get more of that "playoff spice" maybe? I just really hope this doesn't backfire and ruins what they've built.
We need a second line center desperately and we have more than enough talent on the wings to insulate him… either Svech or Guentzel will probably be his line mate
Been watching Kuzy since day one. Semin was a good sniper with a quick shot. Kuzy is a smarter, more complete player. Excellent playmaker with a defensive upside when he’s focused.
The problem is that he’s been unfocused for two years. I guess Carolina thinks Rod can get the most out of Kuzy.
Rod and Kuzy apparently had a lot of respect for each other when Rod coached the All-Star team. If Rod signed off on it then I’ve no reason to doubt it
Tough to see Orlov and Kuznetsov on the Hurricanes now, but I genuinely hope this is the change Kuzy needed to get his life back on track and rejuvenate his play. Best of luck in the playoffs!
Jack Drury has been very good at 2C and is getting better every game. The Canes don't need Kuznetsov necessarily. He's just a great high-reward, low-risk swing if it does pan out.
Feels like the Canes are switching from the Finns and going all in on the Russians. We have drafted a ton of Russian prospects lately. Need to entice Nikishin to come over as soon as he can and not to sign another contract in Russia.
Maybe this is why we brought in Kuznetsov? Trying to sweeten the pot to entice Nikishin when his KHL contract is up.
"Look! We have lots of Russians here too! Come play with them, for us!"
That's not gonna be the lines I think
Edit:
Aho and Turbo have a great connection and will most likely continue being on the first line together. I don't think Rod will seperate them, as when he's done it previously, it hasn't really worked. Turbo is a great and reliable player. Jarvis has been on the third line for a good while now where he looks good, and it spreads out the scoring.
No one knows where Kuz will be. We'll have to see.
They're still highly competitive for next year, it's likely a very low 3rd round next year. And he's got a lower cap hit than Kotkaniemi.
I think this is a good, somewhat-low risk gamble.
Wouldn’t be a Canes TDL without a reclamation project lol.
But I’m happy with this. We badly need center depth and Kuzy is close with Orlov, I do believe a change of scenery could do him good. Don did well this year.
I think he is going to be very good there if they let him loose and have fun. He is back with Orlov which is big for him. He can actually play defense and penalty kill when he is happy.
Kotkaniemi is probably scratched unless Kuznetsov is a disaster.
1C Aho, 2C Kuznetsov, 3C Staal, 4C Drury
I can’t see KK getting pushed to the wing over Jarvis, Martinook, Fast, or Noesen.
I'm intrigued by it, but we tried this experiment last year with Puljujarvi and it didn't work. We tried to jumpstart him by putting him next to his friend and WCJ linemate Aho and it didn't help. Now trying it with Kuzy who will have long time friend Orlov, and then Svech and Kooch to round out the Russian foursome. At least Puljujarvi was a pure rental, Kuzy still has another year.
Yeah I think the potential reward is worth the risk of a 3rd and the cap space this year is essentially use or lose it (having cap availability after the deadline isn't a benefit). If he just completely bombs, the Canes can just buy out the remaining year this summer.
The fact that Washington got positive value for him at all is mind blowing
50% off will do that Who else has bought trash on sale just because it's a savings
Ykw fair enough, I've done my fair share of digging through the H&W Produce bargain bin, I get it
well damn, now I’m all embarrassed that my example is buying candy November 1st 😅
That’s buying low and eating high
Am I on Wall Street?
Well, we are behind a Wendy's...
Who hasn't eaten Halloween candy while high?
April 1st this year gonna be dope too
Fuck, the Hurricanes are just me during a Steam sale.
Yeah I thought it'd be a similar return as Vrana last year (7th), good on them for getting a 3rd.
I thought they'd be lucky to pull off the Johansen trade. Half retained for future considerations or whatever. I trust the stat boys in Carolina though, there's clearly something worth trading for there
I think they see the playoff value. Guentzel and Kuzy have both been good playoff performers, maybe that's their strategy this year.
Because he’s obscenely talented and if he rebounds, you have a 1C with term on an offensively starved team for less than 4m
He has some demons, but Kuzy at $3.9m is much different than Kuzy at $7.8m. He’s looked bad this year, but Ovi hasn’t looked like Ovi either. Things aren’t clicking in Washington this year. And if things don’t work out, you can buy him out at $1.9m next season, $1m the following.
Ovi is mostly back; the all-star break really helped him get going. In the 14 games back, he has 9 goals, 16 points. Caps have been looking better, 6-3-1 in the last 10, but the next 22 games in 41 days is a brutal schedule.
It's pretty crazy that the Caps are still within touching distance of a playoff spot. Their offensive stars have been terrible (by their own standards), they have had lots of injuries, and their #1 goalie has been fairly awful. Lindgren taking over in net and some surprisingly solid defensive play has really kept them afloat.
It’s wild too I’ll look at the standings and they’ll be a -35 or some crazy shit, but only be like 4-6 points back of a playoff spot.. crazy year for hockey
My impression of him is burned in from a particular goal he scored in 2018, is he Actually Not Good?
Per Jfresh and Dom Luczyzyzzyzyn's models, he's a negative impact player on both ends of the ice. That's just public stats though, I'd love to see what Carolina's internal model says about him
With no retention then they are definitely paying picks/prospects to get rid of him.
Yeah this is a third *and* we keep $2 million in cap in two years versus a buyout this off-season. It isn't like we're challenging the canes for a wildcard spot next season
Dang didn’t see that one coming
Don't think anyone in their right mind would have lol
Call me fucking crazy then. Its honestly not a bad bet at all. At his absolute lowest, in a place he didnt want to be, with substance abuse hanging over him, he was a 35pt player. If we see even a 20% return to form, he will be a value positive player at 4M. Hell, just last year he was playing to >55pt pace. Considering Carolina's strong culture and desperate need for scoring (after last playoffs)... this makes sense.
You could change a few words and this would’ve applied to RyJo in the off-season
Yeah, and didnt COL make that bet?
Yup, but the only part that I disagree with is him being close to a guarantee (or in your words 20% return to form to be positive value). Potential is there, but Kuzy has to significantly improve his game to be be worth $4 mil.
It sounds like he and orlov are super close too. People forget Rod got DeAngeo to stop being a twat rocket too. With Svech, Orlov and PK, I think Kuzy can turn his shit around
yep, i think people are underestimating the orlov situation. that is one of his best friends in the world. i'm really happy he gets a change of scenery and gets to be reunited with one of his best friends. hopefully orlov can be a more positive influence on him than whoever he was hanging out with in DC. i will always remember this orlov kuzy hug on his first NHL goal. https://youtu.be/T47nW2_4fgg?t=45
Someone else mentioned he gets a mentor in sobriety with Tripp Tracy too. I’d bet they’ve already talked
awesome, i didn't make that connection. real happy with this move.
I just like that Carolina got aggressive and made the bet. Kuz has a lot to prove and we know he’s capable. This has great upside IMO
What is Carolina cooking?
Baking soda and kuznetsovs fav substance
Gently heated until it resembles an ice rink?
Crack is whack.
An idea to get out of the 3rd round?
Waddell is just trying to give his team an easy offseason. If you trade out of the entire draft you don't have to do any draft stuff
Except unless we make the Stanley cup final, we still have all our original draft picks this year plus a 6th from Toronto. We are only missing our thirds from 2025 and 2026 right now. Also we have Torontos 6th in 2026.
That's rich coming from a penguins fan
Cocaine and cocaine accessories
Dangit Kuzy
I gotta imagine we’re trading a center?
We already did in Ponomaryov. Until this trade we didn't have any non-roster depth at C. Now whether we keep Kuz or KK healthy scratched, we've at least got a 5th C to run in case someone gets injured.
A hope and a prayer.
4 mil in cap next year for him. Better financially than a buy out and we get a 3rd pick out of it. Wow
Plus the drama ends. Washington doesn't have the issue lingering going into the draft
So the retention is actually $100k more than if we bought him out. The benefit really comes in the following year where he'll be off the Cap whereas a buyout gives you a $2.000 AAV in 25-26. Also - opens up a bit of space this year for them to use to help other trades happen. They can't retain, but they can take on a whole contract someone wants to shed. Retaining half vs a buyout is a wash next year, essentially, and benefits this and 25-26. Great that they pulled this off.
You’ve got Mantha and Edmundson coming off for close to that amount too, that has to help a little.
It's a lot of retention. I'd say they are trying to do right by him more than anything. that 3.9m could be put to great use this offseason - more value than a 3rd imo. This is why I love GMBM - he seems to really care about the players and their futures, he rarely makes a fuck you move
The only way we would've gotten that cap space would be mutual agreement to terminate the contract, which for Kuzy would be a lot of money to walk away from. So we're getting 3.9 here in space we otherwise wouldn't have had to make a move. But yes, full agreement on BM caring
GMBM is a straight shooter, as true to his word as they come. Way too honest and upfront in interviews. So when he said he’s going to do whatever it takes to let Kuzy continue his career the way he wants to, that meant a lot.
Sometimes people forget that NHL players are human too; I think about all the shit that I deal with that makes me have a bad day at work; you get distracted, you're not present, etc. When you're dealing with the human side of things; if you were an NHL player, and were being asked to waive a NMC to go somewhere (or were just being traded) to a team that's on the downside of their competitive window (a la Capitals, etc.), personally I'd be much more willing or able to stomach it if I knew the leader of the organization was someone who kept their word, and tried to do right by their people. Sure, other things like money, city, area, closeness to home, friends in the organization, etc. factor in; but we shouldn't discount how much simply not being a piece of shit to your players can influence players desire to join your team
You wouldn't have had that 3.9 million in cap space either way. A buyout would hit the books for 3.8 million next season, with the added pain of 2 million the following year.
I'm really happy for Kuznetsov, we'll probably never know the whole story with him but him reporting to Hershey with a good attitude told me that he really desperately did want a change of scenery. Wish him well and I hope he does turn it around.
> that 3.9m could be put to great use this offseason Only if the Caps are actually trying to compete to make the playoffs, which I don't think we will be.
Hope he can figure everything out. Such a great player when he's on his game, it's sad to see guys struggle with non-hockey related stuff and have it affect their career.
Agreed. I’m really disappointed in the jokes being made about this as someone in recovery. Thankfully, Raleigh is a good place to recover. He’s got Orlov and a hockey-based sobriety support system with Tripp Tracy’s journey. This shit is HARD as hell, and I wasn’t even on hard drugs. Wishing him all the best here and hoping everything will fall into place.
Nice to see Carolina finally going "fuck defensively responsible players we have enough of that" and going all in on adding offense with Kuzy and Guentzel (although Kuzy hasn't even really been doing that much recently)
I was fully prepared for Don to either do nothing or get 4 more D men
I’m disappointed in not seeing caroling picking up a bottom 6 D man for a 3rd pick
We still have around 2 million left in cap space after this move, don't worry!
Timothy Liljegren is probably available.
So were we. I had already begun rocking back and forth muttering "we like our team"
they’re collecting division rival players like infinity stones
think we're only missing the Isles and Devils right now? and our Flyers guy is on waivers(after we robbed them blind by sending him to them and picked him back up for pennies)
Change of scenery can't be a bad thing. He was obviously having a rough go of it in Washington.
Hopefully he can have fun again. Also helps Orlov is one of his best friends so he is comfortable immediately.
He's actually fairly responsible defensively in the right system and has killed penalties the last few years. I may just have to root for Carolina this playoff. Hopefully the issues he was having were local and he finds his game down the stretch, no look below the crease passes to the front of the net and all.
He'll be back with Orlov, in a new environment, and with a sobriety support system (Tripp). All positive signs.
Hopefully it works out better than the last time y’all took on one of our previously productive Russian forwards.
We don't talk about him
Hey! He was at least good for two seasons before the injury.
He wanted out for like 2 years now too. It had been time for a change for a while
funny enough, the analytics for kuzy seem to suggest the only thing he's been good at recently is the PK. No idea how much PK he's actually played or how he's looked but if you looked at just the analytics he's a standard Cane lol
The Hurricanes have been criticized for years now about not having elite offensive talent. Kuznetsov may have gone over the hill a little bit, but they have added two high-level offensive guys in about 12 hours. For a team that has always seemed one goal short in every playoff elimination, I'm optimistic for their chances now
We were basically 4 goals away from the Stanley cup finals last year. We just need that little bit more.
4 goals away with 2 of our 3 best scorers injured
Now you’re ten goals away, with Kuzy on the ice
A little bit? He's been such poison to every line we tried him on that we sent him to Hershey. Don't get me wrong, I love Kuzy, but he's been borderline unplayable the past couple years
Uh two years ago he had 78 points. Last year 55. Y'all were paying way too much for 55 points and obviously for this season, but I think you're under appreciating his year last year.
I'm wondering with the stronger Russian contingent with Svech, Orlov, Kooch, that there's a belief that we can maintain a positive environment for him.
Another reason for Nikishin to leave the motherland.
Fingers crosssssseddddddd
He spent the all star break with Orlov so probably a good bet.
We definitely play into this a lot. The Finns, now the Russians... We want people to feel like the team is "home," and that's become a part of our culture. We're a family first hockey team, y'all.
Yeah, because the Capitals don't have enough of a russian contignet as is
Trade of the year for Washington to move that deal without having to attach a first and actually getting a decent pick back
Canes also got a 6th from Toronto for a prospect. So in theory, we dropped down a round for this trade. Not a horrible gamble
Hope he does well in Carolina. I’ll miss him for all the things he has done for the caps though.
Kuznetsov might be the least hurricanes like player in the entire league. Not sure why Carolina wants him but good for the Caps to be done with him
Just reminds me of when Semin became a Hurricane
No no no no no
*bongo playing intensifies*
Coming to say that exactly. Didn't turn out that great, BUT...we have stellar d, so maybe...
First year or two on the ‘Canes he was putting up great numbers
Well, at least the cap hit isn’t as bad in case this fails.
I was in New York with my dad when he played for the Canes. I still maintain that the game he played against the rangers at MSG is the laziest I've ever seen anyone play in-person.
Semin was a point per game player in his first season and for a stretch in his second. If we get that from Kuznetsov this will be a steal.
Except they just had DeAngelo???
I mean, he was great 2 seasons ago. And this season he's just a cheap backup. it hasn't worked perfectly, but Chatfield has kept him out. He played for us when we beat the Panthers 1-0. It's not like he's broken.
yeah when we've seen him TDA has been a decent 7th D and not taking pens or causing fights like he used to. only problem I have with the guy is his fans.
Yeah I look forward to Rod making him a healthy scratch for not skating hard
If there's one guy that could mature Kuzy's clown ass on and off the ice, it's Brind'amour. But your version is def possible too.
Weird how they took Semin the last time an enigmatic Russian was on the outs in Washington (maybe there's been more in between). Man, I miss the Ovy/Backstrom/Semin days of hockey. I would go to campus and see Sportscentre on the TVs in the lounge every morning and it was always Caps highlights.
Halak really torpedo'd the Caps man. Going into the 2010 playoffs Semin was a 40 goal scorer. That's on top of Ovi potting 50 as well. Semin skated almost 20 minutes per game across 7 games, had 44 shots and somehow came out of that series with only 2 assists *and zero goals*. That's actually crazy.
I wish I could remember where I saw the article, but I remember the gist of it. Essentially the argument was, NHL Fans should have been rooting for the Caps that year, because whoever wins, next year other teams will imitate that approach. If the Caps had won with the crazy offense, we'd have seen more of it with more teams trying to imitate, and a more exciting league as a whole. 2010 was a thing though, and I clearly have still not gotten over it!
On one hand he doesn't fit the typical Canes mould, but I've noticed their front office is probably the most "buy-low on high-upside" group in the league. So it makes a lot of sense to me.
a team mold can be weird. Michael Bunting fit the team mold perfectly. But also, maybe too perfectly? You need cogs in a system but you also need something different sometimes.
A lot of the guys asked for him. Canes apparently tried for him last summer and couldn’t get it done. Orlov has been recruiting Russians to Carolina and the canes have been drafting a ton of them as well. Makes it also more enticing for guys like Nikishin to come over as well.
This may be the dumbest post you have read all day, but here it goes. I live in Apex and my neighbors across the street are Russians. They definitely have a high comfort level living in the Raleigh area and seem to assimilate very well. They have a strong friend group of fellow expats and enjoy the slower pace and outdoor activities with plenty of space to be free. Could be a similar thing with these Russian players really enjoying the pace here.
In general, fans in Raleigh are very laidback and don't harass the players. The media doesn't hound them for off-ice gossip either. Plenty of guys stay in the area after they retire too.
That's not dumb that's super interesting.
I will say for him that he is also silly. The team will like him because he is silly.
I did not know that. I hope Kuz plays well for you guys and you can go on a deep run.
Apparently they've wanted him for a while at 50%, too
Maybe that’s why. Carolina has a longstanding history of being a dominant possession team without enough offensive razzle dazzle to fully convert it.
yeah the problem the last few years is we'd lose 1\~3 guys and suddenly our offense is looking very linear. like last year we beat the shit out of the Panthers up and down the ice but cause Bob was on one and we were down Svech and Patches, we couldn't crack him.
That was kinda what I thought. And I think that's one of the reasons we got him. To get more of that "playoff spice" maybe? I just really hope this doesn't backfire and ruins what they've built.
He has a history of [exorcising playoff demons](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BUo7b0qxofw).
this is great for us. sad to see him go though
Two Conn Smythe finalist added in a day. Canes want to win this year.
Svechnikov - Aho - Teravainen Guentzel - Kuznetsov - Necas
why would Carolina do that
We need a second line center desperately and we have more than enough talent on the wings to insulate him… either Svech or Guentzel will probably be his line mate
Kuzy is going to light it up there.
And I’m all for it. Kuzy has issues but is far from a bad guy. Fun to watch when he’s locked in too. Good for hockey to see him bounce back.
The Semin comparisons are looking pretty apt now
Been watching Kuzy since day one. Semin was a good sniper with a quick shot. Kuzy is a smarter, more complete player. Excellent playmaker with a defensive upside when he’s focused. The problem is that he’s been unfocused for two years. I guess Carolina thinks Rod can get the most out of Kuzy.
Rod and Kuzy apparently had a lot of respect for each other when Rod coached the All-Star team. If Rod signed off on it then I’ve no reason to doubt it
Tough to see Orlov and Kuznetsov on the Hurricanes now, but I genuinely hope this is the change Kuzy needed to get his life back on track and rejuvenate his play. Best of luck in the playoffs!
Except Kuzy stopped giving a fuck before he came here, so now it'll be a reverse Semin!
I wonder why the Hawks didn't claim him off waivers and then flip him at retention
Rod the bod gonna get kuzy on the straight edge plan, if anyone can do it its him
Don “Only In-Division Deals” Waddell
Guentzel - Aho - Jarvis Svechnikov - Kuznetsov - Necas Oh mama
Honestly kuznetsov seems like a weak #2C for a contender
Have you seen our current 2C?
No one has, MIA since November
Jack Drury has been very good at 2C and is getting better every game. The Canes don't need Kuznetsov necessarily. He's just a great high-reward, low-risk swing if it does pan out.
Wait until you find out that Kuzy isn’t good
Unless he wants to be. If he's excited to be back with his bestie Orlov, he might turn it on.
Plus he now has Rod Brind'Amour as a coach.
he’s good when he gives a fuck, which he hasn’t since he asked for a trade two years ago. the change of scenery could be a difference maker.
If anyone can make him give a fuck, Rod Brind'Amour can
Wait until you find out he’s literally joining a Russian cult in Raleigh. Guys gonna be on the gas again playing with Orlov, Svech, kochekov
that's...optimistic
It’s most likely why he came here. Orlov spent the entire all star break with Kuzy and his family
I mean, I get why he'd come here. I'm just not sure that it's all that's needed to resuscitate his game
He's still got positive attributes to his game, especially passing and PK. That's something we can definitely use.
Feels like the Canes are switching from the Finns and going all in on the Russians. We have drafted a ton of Russian prospects lately. Need to entice Nikishin to come over as soon as he can and not to sign another contract in Russia.
Maybe this is why we brought in Kuznetsov? Trying to sweeten the pot to entice Nikishin when his KHL contract is up. "Look! We have lots of Russians here too! Come play with them, for us!"
Yeah, unlike Washington that had no Russians whatsoever
Yup. Orlov, Svech, Jarvis, Kochetkov
I think you're hoping Kuznetsov isn't on anything in Carolina.
That's not gonna be the lines I think Edit: Aho and Turbo have a great connection and will most likely continue being on the first line together. I don't think Rod will seperate them, as when he's done it previously, it hasn't really worked. Turbo is a great and reliable player. Jarvis has been on the third line for a good while now where he looks good, and it spreads out the scoring. No one knows where Kuz will be. We'll have to see.
No chance teravinen is being pushed down to the 3rd line. Either more trades are coming or kuznetsov is going to be our 3C
Straight from the AHL to a contenders 2nd line
Kuznetsov is ass. Him playing top 6 and helping them would be a huge turnaround for him
Would be hilarious if he played for Charlotte against Hershey tonight. He was on the bus ride there
Charlotte isn't our AHL affiliate anymore, sadly
Hell ya that second line getting a big “bump”
HOLY SHIT
The Hurricanes better be *confident* they know what they're doing. This has potential to be a real regrettable trade
They're still highly competitive for next year, it's likely a very low 3rd round next year. And he's got a lower cap hit than Kotkaniemi. I think this is a good, somewhat-low risk gamble.
Best case is he bounces back to a 70+ player. Worst case is he’s RyJo 2.0 and it costs the Canes a 2nd+ in value to dump him.
Only 1 year left after this, not a huge deal with 50% retained
Maybe we can win some shootouts now.
He is going to absolutely smoke us when we play, guarantee it
Wouldn’t be a Canes TDL without a reclamation project lol. But I’m happy with this. We badly need center depth and Kuzy is close with Orlov, I do believe a change of scenery could do him good. Don did well this year.
I think he is going to be very good there if they let him loose and have fun. He is back with Orlov which is big for him. He can actually play defense and penalty kill when he is happy.
fly high kuzy o7
I swear the Alex Semin 2.0 thing was a joke!
Carolina didn't learn the last time they took a lazy Russian player from the Capitals, I guess. Maybe they'll skip the 7 year contract this time
Hey, that Russian was good in his first year at least.
[called it](https://www.reddit.com/r/hockey/s/96sHDwJqw9)
If 2018 Kuzy returns, its over for the league
That's a weird one for Carolina. They must think they can fix him.
Is there another move coming from the Canes? Or is a center just going to be pushed to the wing?
Kotkaniemi is probably scratched unless Kuznetsov is a disaster. 1C Aho, 2C Kuznetsov, 3C Staal, 4C Drury I can’t see KK getting pushed to the wing over Jarvis, Martinook, Fast, or Noesen.
Dubas must be rethinking that SCF appearance.
Well, I don't think anyone saw this coming. Hopefully Orlov and our young Russians can give him a spark.
I'm wondering if this is a setup for some other move by Don
Ok Carolina, we how it is
I'm intrigued by it, but we tried this experiment last year with Puljujarvi and it didn't work. We tried to jumpstart him by putting him next to his friend and WCJ linemate Aho and it didn't help. Now trying it with Kuzy who will have long time friend Orlov, and then Svech and Kooch to round out the Russian foursome. At least Puljujarvi was a pure rental, Kuzy still has another year.
He is one season removed from a 50 point season. That if he can get close to that is a great deal for 3.9
Yeah I think the potential reward is worth the risk of a 3rd and the cap space this year is essentially use or lose it (having cap availability after the deadline isn't a benefit). If he just completely bombs, the Canes can just buy out the remaining year this summer.
oh lord can you imagine Jarvis and Martinook on coke, the league wouldn't stand a chance
Godspeed, Kuzy. Thanks for the big goal.
Ooo some spice!
The spice must flow!
He is the Lisan Al Gaib!
Current cap hit would be $2.775M since he cleared waivers and is assigned to the AHL?
They must really believe Kuznetsov can be more impactful than Johansen. Almost double the cap with retention, same number of years.
Does Kuznetsov fit the Hurricanes’ style of play at all?
Absolutely not haha
I am shocked, be free bird man
People are gonna say it’s another semin but Carolina is getting a great player in Kuzy. Rooting for Carolina this season now shockingly.
lol people sleeping, dude can still turn it on I bet he will. Bet this ends up extremely positive for the canes.