According to multiple Russian-language media reports, Capitals top prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov has decided to remain in that country’s Kontinental Hockey League for at least two more seasons instead of moving to the NHL in 2012-13. Kuznetsov, one of the top teenage players in the world at age 19, was the organization’s first-round draft choice in 2010, No. 26 overall. He slipped during that draft in part because NHL teams began shying away from selecting top Russian prospects for this very reason. Even a reputation as a Russian-friendly team couldn’t persuade Kuznetsov to leave home for Washington — for now. Named the sport’s No. 1 prospect by The Hockey News, Kuznetsov apparently won’t be an option to replace right wing Alexander Semin, an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Given the weakness of the free agent market next summer, that leaves Semin with an awful lot more leverage than he had before.
Kuznetsov, who scored 19 goals in 49 games with club team Traktor Chelyabinsk, cited his desire to play in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi as a reason for staying in the KHL.
– Brian McNally
