RALEIGH, NC. - Forward Evgeny Kuznetsov cleared unconditional waivers on Thursday, and his contract with the Carolina Hurricanes has been terminated.
The 32-year-old was set to carry an AAV of $3.9M for the Canes for the 2024-25 season, the final one on his deal. It is rumored that he will be returning to play in his home country of Russia moving forward.
"Ultimately both sides agreed this was the best course of action for both the player and the team," Canes General Manager Eric Tulsky said on Wednesday. "We thank Evgeny for his time with the team and wish him and his family the best."
Following the removal of Kuznetsov's salary, Carolina has $13.8M in available cap space, per PuckPedia. Some or all of that money could be used to sign current restricted free agents Seth Jarvis and Martin Necas.
On Thursday, the Canes locked up the team's other restricted free agent, Jack Drury, signing him to a two-year deal carrying an AAV of $1.72M.
