Proposal: Evgeny Kuznetsov

[Gilles Meloche]

Maple Leafs Should Target Evgeny Kuznetsov as Reclamation Project - The Hockey Writers Toronto Maple Leafs Latest News, Analysis & More

In this article, we look at why the Toronto Maple Leafs should target Evgeny Kuznetsov as a reclamation project.

thehockeywriters.com

“The Toronto Maple Leafs are hoping they can make it back to the playoffs this season after an underwhelming finish to their 2023-24 campaign. Last season, they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Bruins in seven games, and first-round exits have seemed to become a common theme for the Maple Leafs who haven’t been able to win a Stanley Cup since 1967. With the recent news that forward Evgeny Kuznetsov had come to a mutual agreement with the Carolina Hurricanes to terminate his contract, rumours immediately began to circulate as to where he may end up signing next. 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.”

Click to read more...

 

[ULF_55]

Odds he would take a minimum deal?

Not high?

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

Kuznetsov stinks.

We don't want him here. If OV doesn't want him around anymore there's no reason the Leafs should either. He's not an upgrade over Kampf.

He's old.

His numbers are terrible and in free fall. A real contender in Carolina wanted nothing to do with him after only thirty games. All signs indicate Kuznetsov's not an NHL player anymore.

But this is the Leafs we're talking about.

They're convinced they can turn another teams trash into treasure. Too bad for the Leafs another man's trash usually is just another man's trash. And Kuznetsov is hot garbage with a dirty diaper on top.

Smelly, smelly, smelly.

Peeeee yew

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Odds he would take a minimum deal?

Not high?

I can't see him getting much

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Kuznetsov stinks.

We don't want him here. If OV doesn't want him around anymore there is no reason the Leafs should either. He's not an upgrade over Kampf.

He's old.

His numbers are terrible and in free fall. A real contender in Carolina wanted nothing to do with him after only thirty games. All signs indicate Kuznetsov's not an NHL player anymore.

But this is the Leafs we're talking about.

They're convinced they can turn another teams trash into treasure. Too bad for the Leafs another man's trash usually is just another man's trash. And Kuznetsov is hot garbage with a dirty diaper on top.

Smelly, smelly, smelly.

Peeeee yew

Not an upgrade over Kampf? What the actual f*** are you talking about?

You say ridiculous things in literally every single post you make but that's a new level.

The guy had a down year sure, but he had 55 points in 2023, he's clearly better than David f***ing Kampf

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

Not an upgrade over Kampf? What the actual f*** are you talking about?

You say ridiculous things in literally every single post you make but that's a new level.

The guy had a down year sure, but he had 55 points in 2023, he's clearly better than David f***ing Kampf

He had 24 points last year.

It wasn't a down year. He is in free fall. His numbers are collapsing.

Two teams gave up on him.

 

[BrannigansLaw]

“Thehockeywriters.com”

Yeah no thanks. And no thanks in general in regards to Kuznetsov

 

[LeafGrief]

He’s going to Russia. Why would he terminate a deal with Carolina to take a cheaper deal elsewhere in the NHL?

Does he strike anyone as a Berube player? Does he seem like a player we want to add to our team culture?

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

He had 24 points last year.

It wasn't a down year. He is in free fall. His numbers are collapsing.

Two teams gave up on him.

2 teams didn't give up on him, he asked for a trade from Washington, and Carolina thought he wanted to go home, back to Russia back to the KHL, if they didn't think that he'd still be in Carolina.

as for his 24 points, even if he didn't bounce back and is now legitimately a 25-30 point player that's still an upgrade on David Kampf.

Yeah that's a low bar but It's the bar you set.

He’s going to Russia. Why would he terminate a deal with Carolina to take a cheaper deal elsewhere in the NHL?

Does he strike anyone as a Berube player? Does he seem like a player we want to add to our team culture?

The thought was he was going to Russia but It's been about 10 days and he hasn't gone to Russia.

So maybe he doesn't go to Russia

 

[conFABulator]

2 teams didn't give up on him, he asked for a trade from Washington, and Carolina thought he wanted to go home, back to Russia back to the KHL, if they didn't think that he'd still be in Carolina.

as for his 24 points, even if he didn't bounce back and is now legitimately a 25-30 point player that's still an upgrade on David Kampf.

Yeah that's a low bar but It's the bar you set

It's not a hockey pool. We don't just try to get as many points as we can into the lineup.

Saying he is an upgrade on Kampf is probably not entirely accurate. Kuznetsov got a few more points in many more minutes per game. He doesn't want to play fourth line minutes here, or anywhere. He is not a shut down C and doesn't PK as much as Kampf.

He is older and unreliable due to his off ice issues. If he really wanted to be a Leaf, took a PTO, and earned his way onboard then maybe he is a 3C candidate and knocking someone out of our top nine.

I say avoid, avoid, avoid.

 

[notbias]

Carolina played him as a 4th liner.

He produced well there in the playoffs but also shot 20%.

Seems to not be trusted by the coach defensively, he had the lowest d zone starts of any forward on their team.

He had terrible play driving stats.

I'd avoid him.

 

[nuck]

It's not a hockey pool. We don't just try to get as many points as we can into the lineup.

Saying he is an upgrade on Kampf is probably not entirely accurate. Kuznetsov got a few more points in many more minutes per game. He doesn't want to play fourth line minutes here, or anywhere. He is not a shut down C and doesn't PK as much as Kampf.

He is older and unreliable due to his off ice issues. If he really wanted to be a Leaf, took a PTO, and earned his way onboard then maybe he is a 3C candidate and knocking someone out of our top nine.

I say avoid, avoid, avoid.

Kampf was the wrong player to bring into the conversation as he should not have been resigned period.

Kuznetsov had a playoff the $47M 4 could only dream of so they are by no means comparable.
But per ESPN below he is a flake and thats only the start of his problems. He walked away from $6M in agreeing to a termination and will get better than NHL minimum in the K so he is where he needs to be. No need to stay away because if $6M wasn't enough, he isn't coming for whatever you would offer. I will agree avoid avoid avoid but will add Kampf to that list too.

The inconsistency was not lost on Kuznetsov, who after an early season game in October 2018 said he did not care about being a top-five player in hockey.

"To be MVP, you have to work hard 365 (days) in a year, but I'm not ready for that," Kuznetsov said. "I want to have fun, and I want to make those risky plays when sometimes you don't have to play and you guys don't understand every time those plays. It's not easy to make. But to be MVP in this league, you have to play even better. You have to go next level. It's not easy. More importantly, you have to stay focused 365 (days), but that's not my style."

Kuznetsov more recently entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in February. Upon him being cleared by program administrators to practice, the Capitals put him on waivers with the hope of giving him a fresh start and subsequently sent him to the minors.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

It's not a hockey pool. We don't just try to get as many points as we can into the lineup.

Saying he is an upgrade on Kampf is probably not entirely accurate. Kuznetsov got a few more points in many more minutes per game. He doesn't want to play fourth line minutes here, or anywhere. He is not a shut down C and doesn't PK as much as Kampf.

He is older and unreliable due to his off ice issues. If he really wanted to be a Leaf, took a PTO, and earned his way onboard then maybe he is a 3C candidate and knocking someone out of our top nine.

I say avoid, avoid, avoid.

You do when you need scoring depth.

I like David Kampf, I feel like he's overpaid but I like David Kampf.

That said this team needs scoring depth beyond the top 6, as much as I like some of the things David Kampf does, one thing he does not do is provide scoring depth.

Kuznetzov can provide scoring depth.

Maybe It's on the wing, maybe It's at center either way, assuming the contract is cheap It's worth a shot.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Kampf was the wrong player to bring into the conversation as he should not have been resigned period.

Kuznetsov had a playoff the $47M 4 could only dream of so they are by no means comparable.
But per ESPN below he is a flake and thats only the start of his problems. He walked away from $6M in agreeing to a termination and will get better than NHL minimum in the K so he is where he needs to be. No need to stay away because if $6M wasn't enough, he isn't coming for whatever you would offer. I will agree avoid avoid avoid but will add Kampf to that list too.

The inconsistency was not lost on Kuznetsov, who after an early season game in October 2018 said he did not care about being a top-five player in hockey.

"To be MVP, you have to work hard 365 (days) in a year, but I'm not ready for that," Kuznetsov said. "I want to have fun, and I want to make those risky plays when sometimes you don't have to play and you guys don't understand every time those plays. It's not easy to make. But to be MVP in this league, you have to play even better. You have to go next level. It's not easy. More importantly, you have to stay focused 365 (days), but that's not my style."

Kuznetsov more recently entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in February. Upon him being cleared by program administrators to practice, the Capitals put him on waivers with the hope of giving him a fresh start and subsequently sent him to the minors.

Sounds like he’d fit in perfectly with the core

 

[Doc300c]

Odds he would take a minimum deal?

Not high?

lol am I the only one who got it?

 

[Tie Domi Esquire]

The team has enough soft offense only snow boarders

 

[colchar]

Maple Leafs Should Target Evgeny Kuznetsov as Reclamation Project - The Hockey Writers Toronto Maple Leafs Latest News, Analysis & More

In this article, we look at why the Toronto Maple Leafs should target Evgeny Kuznetsov as a reclamation project.

thehockeywriters.com

“The Toronto Maple Leafs are hoping they can make it back to the playoffs this season after an underwhelming finish to their 2023-24 campaign. Last season, they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Bruins in seven games, and first-round exits have seemed to become a common theme for the Maple Leafs who haven’t been able to win a Stanley Cup since 1967. With the recent news that forward Evgeny Kuznetsov had come to a mutual agreement with the Carolina Hurricanes to terminate his contract, rumours immediately began to circulate as to where he may end up signing next. 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.”

F**k no.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

2 teams didn't give up on him, he asked for a trade from Washington, and Carolina thought he wanted to go home, back to Russia back to the KHL, if they didn't think that he'd still be in Carolina.

as for his 24 points, even if he didn't bounce back and is now legitimately a 25-30 point player that's still an upgrade on David Kampf.

Yeah that's a low bar but It's the bar you set.



The thought was he was going to Russia but It's been about 10 days and he hasn't gone to Russia.

So maybe he doesn't go to Russia

If he's an upgrade over Kampf then it's only by the smallest of increments.

I'm not convinced they need Kuznetsov. They have internal younger players that can do the same job. Kuznetsov isn't gonna be a difference maker.

I think doing nothing at all would be better than signing him.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

Kuznetsov more recently entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in February. Upon him being cleared by program administrators to practice, the Capitals put him on waivers with the hope of giving him a fresh start and subsequently sent him to the minors.

Probably explains a few things.

 

[conFABulator]

Kampf was the wrong player to bring into the conversation as he should not have been resigned period.

Kuznetsov had a playoff the $47M 4 could only dream of so they are by no means comparable.
But per ESPN below he is a flake and thats only the start of his problems. He walked away from $6M in agreeing to a termination and will get better than NHL minimum in the K so he is where he needs to be. No need to stay away because if $6M wasn't enough, he isn't coming for whatever you would offer. I will agree avoid avoid avoid but will add Kampf to that list too.

The inconsistency was not lost on Kuznetsov, who after an early season game in October 2018 said he did not care about being a top-five player in hockey.

"To be MVP, you have to work hard 365 (days) in a year, but I'm not ready for that," Kuznetsov said. "I want to have fun, and I want to make those risky plays when sometimes you don't have to play and you guys don't understand every time those plays. It's not easy to make. But to be MVP in this league, you have to play even better. You have to go next level. It's not easy. More importantly, you have to stay focused 365 (days), but that's not my style."

Kuznetsov more recently entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in February. Upon him being cleared by program administrators to practice, the Capitals put him on waivers with the hope of giving him a fresh start and subsequently sent him to the minors.

Agreed. I am not a Kampf fan, I don't mind the player, dislike the contract.

He did have a great run when they won the cup. He has 22 points in 36 playoff games since then, probably for the reasons you outlined in your post. I cannot see a case for going anywhere near him at this point. We agree on this also.

 

[conFABulator]

You do when you need scoring depth.

I like David Kampf, I feel like he's overpaid but I like David Kampf.

That said this team needs scoring depth beyond the top 6, as much as I like some of the things David Kampf does, one thing he does not do is provide scoring depth.

Kuznetzov can provide scoring depth.

Maybe It's on the wing, maybe It's at center either way, assuming the contract is cheap It's worth a shot.

Depth scoring? Sure.

Why do we think Kuznetsov will provide scoring depth? He has all the signs of troubled player on the decline. He got 24 points last year and had decent ice time. His point per 60 minutes ranked 395th in the league, well behind most players including Alex Nylander. Why not take a flyer on him without all the baggage. Well behind Robertson and Holmberg, one of who he would be knocking out of the top nine.

Why are we betting on him rebounding?

 

[Maruk moustache]

I agree. I am one of the few that watched every Capitals game and every Leafs game last year (Caps fan with a lot of sympathy and a thing for Marner and Matthews). Not that I am some hockey expert, but I have been watching this game long enough, and the Capitals long enough, to be pretty sure that you don't want Kuznetsov right now. Unless you have a time machine, then maybe.

He is still a pretty skater. I would probably still use him in 3-on-3 situations if rosters were big enough for that kind of specificity. Otherwise, I think I would rather take my chances on just about any decent young guy who is hungry and doesn't need much of a salary.

I feel like he has the talent to be better. I have felt this way through most of his career. Legendary in DC because he did well in the playoffs that one year, but then so is Devante Smith-Pelly. Love the guy. Glad he's gone.

 

[banks]

I wouldn't even consider adding Kuznetsov unless he arrived in a DeLorean. Because 2021 Kuz would be great, but 2024 Kuznetsov isn't an NHL player anymore.

Hard pass.

 

[Anthrax442]

no

 

[hurdemz]

Kuznetsov stinks.

We don't want him here. If OV doesn't want him around anymore there's no reason the Leafs should either. He's not an upgrade over Kampf.

He's old.

His numbers are terrible and in free fall. A real contender in Carolina wanted nothing to do with him after only thirty games. All signs indicate Kuznetsov's not an NHL player anymore.

But this is the Leafs we're talking about.

They're convinced they can turn another teams trash into treasure. Too bad for the Leafs another man's trash usually is just another man's trash. And Kuznetsov is hot garbage with a dirty diaper on top.

Smelly, smelly, smelly.

Peeeee yew

Lol this is such a bad take, it makes me wonder if you have a disability...

Anyways, kuzy isn't what the leafs need, so yeah, not an option. These writers love saying 'leafs should be in on blah', no matter who it is.

Leafs need a Lawson Crouse type forward, a Brett Pesce type defender and a true #1 goalie