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Evgeny Kuznetsov’s KHL Contract Terminated

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Ex-NHL staple Evgeny Kuznetsov has mutually terminated his contract with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL today, per a team announcement. The player and team agreed to part ways despite Kuznetsov signing a four-year deal with the club last summer. He put up 12 goals and 37 points in 39 games and led the team in points-per-game.

His return to Russia came after 11 years in the NHL. As a staple for the Washington Capitals, Kuznetsov put up 568 points for the team in 723 games. He added 73 points in 97 playoff games for Washington, including an incredible 32 points on their way to securing the Stanley Cup in 2018. As recent as the 2021-22 season, “Kuzy” put up nearly a point-per-game (78 points in 79 games). It was a rapid decline from that point on, and last season Washington dumped the last year and a half of his $7.8MM cap-hit contract on the Hurricanes at 50% retention in a deadline deal.

Before being traded to Carolina, Kuznetsov spent time in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program and was placed on waivers, but no team claimed the full remainder of his contract. After appearing in just 20 games for the Canes, he had his contract terminated and became an unrestricted free agent, setting the stage for his return to his home country.

The news of Kuznetsov’s departure from his most recent contract comes on the same day that ex-teammate Ivan Demidov signed his three-year, entry-level deal with the Montreal Canadiens. Kuznetsov served as a De facto mentor for the young Demidov this season, and it will be interesting to see if he follows his fellow countryman back to North America for the return to the NHL.

At just 32, Kuznetsov may still have more left in the tank, especially after noting to Russian news outlet Sport-Express that he has learned how to better manage his rheumatoid arthritis that impacted his performance last season.

Utah Injury Notes: Marino, O’Brien

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Utah Hockey Club defender John Marino will miss tonight’s game against the Kraken due to an illness, per Brogan Houston of Desert News Sports. Houston adds that there is an illness circulating through the locker room, so it will be interesting to monitor if additional players are impacted to the point of missed time. Just yesterday head coach Andre Tourigny noted Marino would be day-to-day with an upper body injury after taking a puck to the head in Saturday’s contest against the Jets, also per Houston.

In 34 games on the year, Marino has recorded one goal and 14 points. It’s been a tough first season with the franchise for Marino, as he sustained an injury in training camp that eventually resulted in surgery in October. Marino didn’t appear in a game until January.

Utah acquired Marino, 27, from the Devils during the 2024 draft in exchange for a second-round pick. Marino burst onto the scene as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who then signed him to a six-year, $26.4MM contract in 2021. The Penguins then dealt the defender to the New Jersey Devils, where he established himself as an anchor on their back end, and Marino has slowly taken on that responsibility for Utah during the second half of this season. Although he’s missed more than half of the team’s games this season, his current average of 21:10 of ice time per night represents the highest average of his six-year career. While the club is all but assured to miss the playoffs this season, Marino will be a key piece for Utah moving forward.

Tourigny also provided an updated on injured forward Liam O’Brien, noting “there’s a chance” he returns before the end of the season, per Belle Fraser of the Salt Lake Tribune. The enforcer sustained a lower-body during a March 13 contest against Seattle, and the team announced his recovery time would be four-plus weeks, putting his return in question.

On the season, O’Brien has two points and 50 penalty minutes in 27 games. After recording a career-high 14 points and league-leading 153 PIMs in 75 games for the Coyotes last season, Utah signed O’Brien to a three-year, $3MM extension in June.

Kings Injury Notes: Turcotte, Doughty

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Forward Alex Turcotte skated at practice today for the Los Angeles Kings in a non-contact jersey, per team reporter Zach Dooley. Dooley also noted that he heard that Turcotte skated with the team’s healthy scratches prior to yesterday’s game against the Oilers.

Turcotte, 24, has missed the last six games with an upper-body injury he sustained against the Boston Bruins on March 23. This represents the second multi-game injury for Turcotte on the season, as he was placed on the IR in November with an upper-body injury. All told, the spark plug center has appeared in 64 games on the season and has registered eight goals and 23 points in a bottom-six role. A high pedigree draft choice (fifth overall in the 2019 draft), Turcotte is enjoying his first full season in the NHL this year. Last season, he recorded 29 points in 35 games at the AHL-level, while also appearing in 20 contests for the Kings, where we put up one goal and three assists. While the organization would no doubt benefit from his continued offensive development, he has formed a formidable depth line with wingers Tanner Jeannot and Samuel Helenius, although as Dooley points out, Jeannot remains out with his own injury. While Head Coach Jim Hiller noted Turcotte’s return to practice as a positive step in his recovery, he did caution patience in the young forward’s return.

Dooley added that veteran defenseman Drew Doughty did not practice today after not playing the final 7:46 of yesterday’s win against the Oilers. While his status will be something to monitor, Hiller did not seem overly negative about Doughty’s availability moving forward, calling the decision to sit Doughtry “precautionary.” He added that Doughty’s may not return to 100 percent health the rest of this season and that the club will look to support Doughty by way of managing his schedule and ice time. On the season, Doughty has appeared in just 28 games. But when healthy (or healthy enough to suit up), the vet has still produced offensively to the tune of four goals and 19 points. Doughty has spent his entire 17-year career with the Kings, registering 160 goals, 526 assists, and 686 points in 1,205 career games. He is third in franchise history in games played, but first amongst defensemen. He’s added 57 points in 95 career playoff games and has hoisted the Stanley Cup on two separate occasions. He and longtime teammate Anze Kopitar will look for a third cup run as the team recently clinched their spot in the playoffs.

Canadiens’ Prospect Ivan Demidov Concludes KHL Season

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Montreal Canadiens’ top prospect Ivan Demidov’s KHL season has just concluded, per a SKA St. Petersburg social post, and now eyes turn to the future of the skilled forward. Selected fifth overall by the Habs in the 2024 draft, Demidov, 19, scored 19 goals and 49 points in 65 games this season in Russia’s top league. He added an additional five points in six playoff contests.

The 6’0, 192-pound right wing is believed to have an NHL-ready offensive game, and his performance this year in the KHL has done nothing to diminish his buzz in Montreal. He also produced a robust 60 points in 30 games in the MHL (the KHL’s junior league) last season. Despite this success, Demidov often found himself in head coach Roman Rotenberg’s doghouse throughout the season and averaged only 13:45 of ice time per contest. Even with limited playing time, the teen led St. Petersburg in scoring. So, what’s next for the rising star?

Russ Cohen of The Hockey News noted that it’s not uncommon for younger stars to play limited minutes in the KHL to accommodate the playing time of veterans. He added that while Demidov is offensively gifted, he does have work to do in the defensive zone. While his situation has parallels to that of Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov, Demidov’s contract with the KHL is set to expire in May, making his transition to America easier than that Michkov. This could set the stage for Demidov to make his North American debut for the Habs next season. If that is the case, the Canadiens will gladly sign up for a duplicate of the success Michkov has had in Philly this season, where he has produced 24 goals and 58 points in 75 games.

Whenever he does make his way overseas, another one of his countrymen is optimistic the top-five pick will have a strong run of success in Montreal. Former Canadiens winger Alexander Radulov spoke to Sergey Demidov of Responsible Gambling about the 2024 fifth-overall pick and said Demidov will be “having a blast” when he likely begins his NHL career in the closing days of the 2024-25 season. Radulov played for the Yaroslavl Lokomotiv in the KHL this year, scoring 18 goals and 34 points.

Western Notes: Benn, Wood, George

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The Dallas Stars’ Jamie Benn was back in the lineup in today’s 3-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild after missing two consecutive games with a minor injury. Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News reported Benn’s availability. Benn slotted back into a third-line role alongside Wyatt Johnston and Evgenii Dadonov. The Stars’ captain ended his game with 21 shifts, 15:49 of ice time, and a minus-one rating. On the season, Benn has recorded 16 goals, 29 assists, 45 points, and a plus-six rating. He has spent all 16 years of his career in Dallas and only trails Mike Modano in games played for the franchise. He’s also second in franchise history in goals and points, third in assists, and tied for third with seven hat tricks. And as they ready for the postseason, the Stars will look to lean on Benn’s playoff experience. He has suited up in 102 career playoff contests, registering 27 goals, 50 assists, 77 points and a plus-12 rating. Just last season, Benn showed the type of playoff competitor he is, recording 15 points in 19 contests. His return to the lineup, albeit after a short absence, is a welcomed sight for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations. With Benn’s return, veteran Colin Blackwell was made a healthy scratch.

Elsewhere in the West:

  • The Los Angeles Kings assigned 2024 second-round selection goalie Carter George to the AHL, per a team announcement. George, 18, recorded a 17-22-6 record to go along with a .909 save percentage in 47 contests for the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack. Carter also shined this year in the Under-20 World Junior Championships for Team Canada. Despite his 2-2 record, Carter recorded a .936 save percentage and 1.76 goals against average for the tournament. The teenager will now look to make an impact for the AHL’s Ontario Reign. George signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the Kings in 2024.
  • After signing a three-year, entry-level deal just eight days ago, Predators forward Matthew Wood will be playing in his first NHL game tonight against the Montreal Canadiens, per the team. The 20-year-old was the 15th overall selection back in 2023 and is coming off of a strong season at the University of Minnesota, where he scored 17 goals and 39 points in 39 games. The 6’4, 205-pound winger also recorded two goals and two assists for Team Canada during last season’s World Junior Championship.

Wild’s Jacob Middleton Out Day-To-Day

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Already without forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek, the Minnesota Wild are dealing with another injury to a key contributor. The team announced that defenseman Jacob Middleton will be out day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Middleton was hit from behind during Friday night’s loss to the New York Islanders by forward Bo Horvat. Middleton was helped off the ice and immediately went to the locker room without returning. For his part, Horvat only received a minor penalty, which upset the Wild coaches and players. According to The Athletic’s Michael Russo, Horvat will not receive a hearing with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety.

In 66 games on the season, Middleton has recorded eight goals, 20 points, and a plus-12 rating. He has also averaged a hefty 21:56 of total ice time per game, recorded 98 hits, and blocked 155 shots. The 29-year-old has spent the last three seasons in Minnesota after being traded to the club by the San Jose Sharks during the 2021-22 season. In 246 games in Minnesota, Middleton has recorded 19 goals, 46 assists, and 77 points to go with 202 penalty minutes and 500 hits.

With the Wild tumbling down the standings (losing their last four games), Middleton’s return will be key with just five games remaining. The team is still holding onto the second wild card position in the west, but the Calgary Flames are just four points back and have a game in hand on the Wild. With Middleton out, the Wild recalled defender Cameron Crotty from the AHL. Crotty has been pinging back and forth between the AHL and NHL over the last several weeks but has yet to appear in a game for the Wild this season. The 25-year-old captain of the Iowa Wild has recorded zero goals and 10 assists in 68 AHL games this season. He is not in the lineup for the Wild’s contest today against the Dallas Stars.

Capitals’ Aliaksei Protas Out Week-To-Week

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While Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals are still on cloud nine, not all news was good news today for the team. Forward Aliaksei Protas will be out week-to-week with a lower-body injury, per a team announcement. Protas was injured in Friday night’s contest against the Chicago Blackhawks after sustaining a cut to his foot on a collision in front of the net.

The loss of the 6’6, 225-pound Protas is a tough blow for the top-seeded Capitals as they look ahead to the playoffs. The 24-year-old has burst onto the scene this season, shattering his previous career-highs in goals, assists, points, plus/minus rating, and shooting percentage. On the season, he has recorded 30 goals, 66 points, and a plus-40 rating, all while averaging just 16:27 of ice time per game. What’s more, he’s accomplished all these lofty totals while only registering one point on the power play. His 60 even-strength points tie him with Mitch Marner for eighth place in the NHL this season. Prior to this season, Protas recorded 53 career points in 169 games, and his evolution has played a large factor in the team’s success.

With Protas on the shelf, head coach Spencer Carbery said prior to today’s afternoon matchup with the Islanders that recently acquired Anthony Beauvillier would return to the lineup. Sent over to the Capitals in a trade-deadline deal with the rival Pittsburgh Penguins, Beauvillier has scored 15 goals in 75 games on the season, including two with Washington in 12 games. The 27-year-old has registered 131 goals and 271 points in 625 career games, providing the Capitals with a solid depth piece as they head into the playoffs. He has added 16 goals and 31 points in 55 career postseason contests. Carbery noted how well the veteran has fit into the culture of the organization, adding that Beauvillier “complements the locker room.” He added that Beauvillier is a bit of a “Swiss army knife” that can be used up and down the lineup. After sitting out as a healthy scratch, Beauvillier was slotted on the fourth line alongside Brandon Duhaime and Nic Dowd during today’s 4-1 loss to the Islanders, receiving 17 shifts and 12:49 of ice time.

Metropolitan Notes: Flyers, Koppanen, Muggli

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Despite their massive struggles down the stretch – which resulted in the firing of coach John Tortorella – Flyers GM Daniel Briere sees light at the end of the tunnel and is willing to potentially part with first round picks to get his team over the hump, per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. As LeBrun reports, Briere told The Athletic last week that the goal for the franchise is not just compete or “squeeze into the playoffs,” but rather be a contender year in and year out.

With three first-round selections in this year’s upcoming draft (including two they acquired via trades) and four second-round selections, Briere may have the assets needed to bring in NHL-ready talent. Briere noted he likes having the opportunity to make the Flyers more competitive as soon as possible. As the team has firmly been in a rebuild the last several seasons, it stands to reason Briere and President of Hockey Operations Keith Jones (both Philly legends in their own right) would now look to expedite the process. Briere took over as GM of the Flyers on March 17, 2023 and in the 2023-24 season, the upstart Flyers impressed to the tune of a 38-33-11 record, narrowly missing the playoffs but showcasing the potential of the roster. However, the team came falling back down to earth this season and currently hold a 30-36-9 mark on the year. After dismissing Tortorella, Briere noted the organization needed to move to the “next chapter.” It appears that chapter may also include selling off draft assets to improve the current roster.

Elsewhere in the Metropolitan:

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have reassigned Joona Koppanen to the AHL, per Seth Rorabaugh of the Tribune-Review. Koppanen was recalled on April 3 and suited up in Pittsburgh’s 5-4 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues, registering 11:24 of ice time. While he has made appearances in three separate NHL seasons between the Boston Bruins and Pens, Koppanen, 27, has suited up for just 15 career NHL games. With Pittsburgh all but out of the playoff race this season, he seemed primed a larger opportunity to showcase his talents. However, with Pittsburgh recently calling up prospects Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty, and with fellow youngsters like Vasili Ponomaryov, Sam Poulin, and Tristan Broz awaiting their turn, Koppanen’s chances may have once again taken a hit.
  • The Washington Capitals have re-assigned defender Leon Muggli of the Swiss National League to their AHL affiliate, per a team announcement. Muggli, the team’s 2024 second round selection, is not expected to play for Hershey tonight or on Sunday. The 18-year-old, left-handed defenseman has registered 11 points in 40 games for the EV Zug. The Switzerland native represented his country at the 2025 World Junior Championship, serving as an alternate captain and recording three assists in five games. Last season, Muffli’s 12 points were the most ever by a defenseman age 17 or younger in Swiss National League history.

Oilers Sign Goalie Nathaniel Day To Entry-Level Deal

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The Edmonton Oilers have signed goaltending prospect Nathaniel Day to a three-year, entry-level contract, per a team release. Day was the organization’s sixth round selection in the 2023 draft.

Day was named the OHL Flint Firebird’s 2024-25 team MVP after leading the league in games and minutes played by a goalie. In 59 games, Day recorded a less-than-stellar 26-25-2-3 record and an .894 save percentage but also faced the fourth-most shots in the OHL. He recorded his first three professional shutouts this season, added a .902 save percentage in five playoff games, and was named the OHL’s Goaltender of the Week on three separate occasions.

The Burlington, Ontario native sits at 6’4, 205 pounds and possesses the size coveted by today’s NHL teams. And while only 20-years-old, the 2024-25 campaign marked the fourth season Day has appeared exclusively for the Firebirds. All told, he has appeared in 153 regular season games for Flint and an additional 17 playoff contests. Last fall, he also participated in the 2024 Young Stars Classic representing the Oilers and also made his NHL preseason debut.

Day is among a list of goaltending prospects in the Oilers’ organization, including 2022 fifth round selection Samuel Jonsson, 2018 second round pick Olivier Rodrigue, and current ECHL goalie Connor Ungar. Then there is also Brett Brochu, who recently earned a call-up to AHL’s Bakersfield Condors and has performed admirably, recording a .937 save percentage through three starts. In 35 games in the ECHL this season, Brochu, 22, has recorded a .924 save percentage to go with his 20-10-4 record. He has worked his way up the ranks, showcasing solid stats throughout the PJCHL, OHL, ECHL, and now AHL. Rodrigue was recently recalled to Edmonton to provide support during Stuart Skinner’s injury absence.

Florida Panthers’ Injury Updates: Tkachuk, Kulikov, Barkov, Sturm

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As the Florida Panthers gear up for a repeat run at the Stanley Cup, head coach Paul Maurice provide injury updates today on several key players, per team reporter Jameson Olive. Maurice noted that Matthew Tkachuk is still “a ways away” from returning from injured reserve after sustaining an injury in the 4 Nations Face-Off back in February. The team remains hopeful Tkachuk will be available for the playoffs. In 52 games on the season, Tkachuk has registered 22 goals and 57 points to go along with 84 hits. Now in his third full season with the Panthers, he has produced 265 points in 211 career regular season games with Florida, but was never more valuable than last season’s run to the Stanley Cup, where he produced 22 points in 24 games. The fan favorite’s return to the lineup will be a key to their back-to-back cup aspirations.

Maurice said the return of defender Dmitry Kulikov could come as early as next week. The 6’1, 212 Kulikov has been out since March 18 with an upper-body injury. The team announced on March 31 that he would be traveling with the club on their four-game road trip but would not appear in any of those contests. Kulikov has registered four goals, 13 points and a plus-13 rating on the season. Maurice added that veteran center Aleksander Barkov would have a similar return timeline as Kulikov. Barkov was injured in Tuesday night’s contest against the Montreal Canadiens and was subsequently kept out against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday. While he was also ruled out of this weekend’s games, based on Maurice’s update today, his injury does not appear to be serious or something that is expected to linger. Barkov has registered 19 goals and 67 points in 64 games on the season. By lighting the lamp one more time this season, Barkov would secure his 10th career 20-plus goal season. And just like Tkachuk, Barkov scored 22 points during last season’s playoffs.

Finally, Maurice also discussed center Nico Sturm’s expected return from an upper-body injury, noting that Sturm could return as early as the start of next week. Sturm, who was traded by the San Jose Sharks to the Panthers in March, has registered 14 points in 58 games on the season. He sustained his injury Tuesday against Montreal.

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