Crazy night for Capitals prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov, who recorded three goals and six assists for Russia in a World Juniors contest against Latvia on Thursday. That wasn’t a tournament record – but it was close. Peter Forsberg once had 10 points in a game for Sweden against Japan in 1993. The Russians weren’t exactly facing the 1980s Edmonton Oilers here. They won the game 14-0. But still, the World Juniors tournament has featured plenty of mismatches over the years and only Forsberg has done better. Russia, which is off to a 3-0 start at the tournament being held in Calgary and Edmonton, faces rival Sweden on New Year’s Eve in the final game of Group A pool competition.
Kuznetsov, 19, has 12 goals and 12 assists in 32 games with the KHL’s Traktor Chelyabinsk. He is also Russia’s captain at the World Juniors tournament after helping his country win gold at the event last winter. He was selected by the Caps in the first round of the 2010 NHL draft at No. 26 overall. Appears general manager George McPhee and his scouts got a steal at that spot. Washington coach Dale Hunter is familiar with Kuznetsov. He tried to get him to make the move to North America a few years ago to have him play for the London Knights, the junior team Hunter co-owns in Ontario.
“We scouted him, my brother [Mark] did, and tried to have him come over and play junior here,” Hunter. “He’s a special player. He has great skill. Of course, this was two years ago. But at his age right now he’s dominating the junior level. So it’s a good sign for the Caps.”
McPhee spoke with local reporters prior to the Caps’ game against the Buffalo Sabres at Verizon Center on Friday night. He’s headed to Alberta to watch the final few days of the World Juniors tournament and see Kuznetsov in person for himself. But no negotiations are expected there. Kuznetsov has other things on his mind right now than signing the three-year entry-level contract needed for him to play in the NHL.
“No, we haven’t started talking yet,” McPhee said. “I’m going to go out to the tournament Sunday. I usually leave the players alone at that tournament. But if I happen see him I’ll say ‘Hi.’ But I don’t expect a lot of negotiating to happen until probably later on this season.”
Kuznetsov won’t appear in Washington this season at all. The NHL’s collective-bargaining rules preclude that for European players – something that McPhee considers unfair. After all, players at the juniors and college levels can join the NHL after their seasons end. The upcoming round of CBA talks with the NHLPA provide an avenue to fix that, McPhee said.
So how about AHL Hershey? Defenseman Dmitry Orlov took that route last February after his own KHL season ended and gained valuable experience with the Bears. The Caps will certainly make that option available to Kuznetsov and his camp. But McPhee’s tone suggested that isn’t happening. Kuznetsov is a strong candidate to make Russia’s senior World Championship roster in April anyway and that tournament will provide experience just as valuable as the AHL playoffs.
Kuznetsov has long said he wanted to spend two seasons in the KHL after being drafted by Washington. That was okay with the Caps at first. But while the KHL is a fine league, it’s nowhere near the level of the NHL right now and McPhee believes players can develop bad habits if they stay too long in that environment. So could Kuznetsov have split the difference and come over this season?
“Good question. Maybe. But as I said before when we interviewed [Kuznetsov] for the draft he said he wanted to play two years in the KHL to get strong enough – and he wasn’t wrong in that regard,” McPhee said. “He needed to get stronger. From a talent standpoint he’s probably got enough talent to play here, but physically you have to be strong enough.”
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