Kuzya skates with the national team. (Photo credit: Champtionat.com)

Evgeny Kuznetsov has been engulfed in rumors of trades to the KHL’s Dynamo Moscow and getting lured out of his current deal by Capitals officials. But speaking with Mikhail Zislis of Sport-Express, Kuznetsov cleared the air on both sides of the Atlantic. Kuznetsov squashed the rumors and restated that he’ll make the jump to the NHL next year.

From Sport-Express:

Is there anything behind the information that Washington has a representative flying over to Helsinki looking to get you over there sooner?

No, it’s a conspiracy. Don’t believe it [smiles]. I keep up with the people from the Capitals, talk to them friendly over the phone. Nothing new has happened in regards to that. They invited me to visit and talk. They know my plans well. I have decided for myself to spend the next year in Russia and then go to the NHL. Why should I rush?

Are the talks about getting traded to Dynamo worrying you?

Not at all. I’m planning to spend the next 365 days with Traktor. Don’t belive anything else. There are people who like to talk about everything, but they can write whatever.

You’re so confident as if there were no Nichushkin trade to Dynamo.

That was a whole different story.

Kuznetsov’s re-commitment to Washington is noteworthy, but his ability to speak authoritatively about his team’s asset-management decisions is a bit less certain.

Evgeny Kuznetsov denied on a breakaway by Dynamo’s Alexander Yeremenko during the Gagarin Cup Finals (Photo credit: R-Sport)

Sport-Express is reporting a potential trade between Dynamo Moscow and Traktor Chelyabinsk involving Evgeny Kuznetsov, one of the KHL’s brightest stars and a prominent Caps prospect. According to one of  Russia’s most popular sports publications, Kuznetsov may follow two other young forwards, Valery Nichushkin and Maxim Karpov, who have already been traded from Chelyabinsk to Moscow.

From Sports-Express:

After Valery Nichushkin and Maxim Karpov, another Traktor player may move to Dynamo: Evgeny Kuznetsov. According to [Sport-Express'] information, blue-and-whites [Dynamo] have started talks with Traktor about buying the rights and contract of the 2012 World Champion and 2011 World Junior Champion. Kuznetsov is currently with the Russian national team at the World Championships, but hasn’t been placed on the finalized roster yet.

If this rumor is true, Traktor is in a state of upheaval, and it’s possible Evgeny Kuznetsov may be headed to Washington sooner than planned– or not at all.

This would be a curious twist in Kuznetsov’s career. As a hometown favorite in Chelyabinsk, it seemed unlikely that Traktor would trade him away. But after selling Nichushkin and Karpov and not retaining the services of Deron Quint, it’s apparent that Traktor is shaking things up. It’s not quite a fire sale yet, but it may be one soon. As Sports.ru blogger Igor Eronko put it, Dynamo Moscow is in talks to acquire basically all of Traktor Chelyabinsk.

If Kuznetsov does get traded, his contract with Traktor (with one year remaining) will become inactive, and Kuznetsov will be obligated to sign with Dynamo on the same terms. If he does not sign, his rights in the KHL/VHL/MHL system will be held by Dynamo organization, and he’ll be considered a “conflict” player (KHL Legal Regulations, chapter 5, article 35, paragraph 5 and chapter 3, article 11, paragraph 1).

That means Kuznetsov might be able to sign with the Capitals this year. Situations like this have happened before. Last year, Metallurg Magnitogorsk traded Juhamatti Aaltonen to Traktor. Aaltonen then refused to sign with his new club and was assigned “conflict” status. He played the season in the Swedish Elitserien with Rogle BK. On the other hand, the KHL-NHL’s “Memorandum of Understanding” is not entirely clear on how this situation might resolve.

As you might remember, Dynamo advisor Alex Ovechkin (who moonlights as a hockey player) has publicly said that Kuznetsov made the wrong decision in staying in Russia for two more years.

Evgeny Kuznetsov in Team Russia practice facility. (Photo credit: Sovetsky Sport)

4PM UPDATE: A few days ago Team Russia head coach Zinetula Bilyaletdinov announced three goalies and 25 skaters, including Kuznetsov, who “would be travelling to Helsinki and Stockholm for the Worlds Championship tournament.” Not all of the players named by the coach will be on the Team Russia’s final roster. IIHF rules allow for the minimum of 15 skaters and 2 goalies to be named no later than today; players can be added to the roster at any time during the tournament, up to the maximum of 22 skaters and 3 goalies. While some teams have filed their full rosters, Team Russia is taking an incremental approach. They announced today the first group of players – 3 goalies, 5 defensemen, and 11 forwards. Evgeny Kuznetsov does not appear on the list. Kuzya may make the team later, especially if some of the Russian players currently involved in the Stanley Cup playoffs do not make a quick 1st round exit.

ORIGINAL STORY: Caps prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov has been named to Team Russia for the 2013 IIHF World Championships, which begin Friday in Sweden and Finland.

Kuznetsov won gold in last year’s World Champs while playing in a limited role. Kuzya has been less than impressive in the last few months, earning Joey Crabb treatment by national team coach Zinetula “Bill” Bilyaletdinov, playing on the fourth line at the EuroHockeyTour tournament in Czech Republic. To his credit, Kuznetsov looked impressive in his limited ice time, which probably secured him a spot on the national team. After the tournament, Kuznetsov, who has been encouraged to tweak his game to a less flashy, more steady team style by Traktor coach Valery Belousov, complained about the “black cat on his shoulder” that’s been bringing him bad luck for the last half of the season. He told reporters that he has set a conditioning program for the off-season to come back in a better shape for the beginning of next season.

Traktor will sure need it. Despite retaining star goalie Michael Garnett, top line forwards Jan Bulis and Stanislav Chistov and second-line center Petri Kontiola, there are still a lot of question marks surrounding future of the Traktor squad. Despite being far from the richest team in the league, the club from hockey-obsessed Chelyabinsk has had two long playoff runs in the last couple years. Now they’ve lost their top all-situation defenseman Deron Quint, veteran forward Maxim Yakutsenya as well as few of the youngest members of the squad: defenseman Nikita Nesterov and forwards Maxim Karpov and Valery Nichushkin.

In slightly less important Kuzya news, Hockey’s Future has named him their Prospect of the Year. If you’re the world’s prospect even in your ‘down’ year, that’s quite impressive.

Dynamo forward Denis Kokarev celebrating the victory. (Photo credit: RIA Novosti/Alexey Filippov)

Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom‘s former KHL team, Dynamo Moscow, has beat Evgeny Kuznetsov’s Traktor Chelyabinsk 3-2 in overtime to secure a championship win in game 6 of the Gagarin Cup finals, taking the hardware home for the second straight year.

Despite a few good chances, Caps prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov, was held without a point. Kuznetsov had eleven points in 25 games during his team’s long playoff journey.

Back in Washington, Ovechkin and Backstrom shared their happiness via Twitter.

Chempioooni chempioooooni ole ole ole…….!!!!!Dynamo Moskva…………

— Alex Ovechkin (@ovi8) April 17th 2013

Congrats to dynamo Moscow! Great team,organization and guys! Well deserved.Molodci rebiata!!Dynamo chempion!

— Nicklas Backstrom (@backstrom19) April 17th 2013

According to KHL Sports Regulations, Article 70, paragraph 6, to get his name engraved on the Cup, a player must play in at least 50% of KHL games before a “Loan.” That means Alex Ovechkin (31 game played) will get his name on the Cup but Nicklas Backstrom (19 games) will not.

There’s no mention of a championship ring in the regulations, but one assumes awarding rings is up to the winning team. During the conference finals, KHL president Alexander Medvedev was asked whether Kovalchuk or Ovechkin could be eligible to get the ring. “Yes, 100 percent,” he said, according to R-Sport. “Every event, every point relates to the team’s final success. For their regular season scoring they deserve to be rewarded”.

3:50 Update: In a tweet, Ovechkin reveals he will indeed get a championship ring.

Im gonna get the champion ring )))haha

— Alex Ovechkin (@ovi8) April 17, 2013

Valery Nichushkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Michael Garnett after Game 5. (Photo credit: Sports.ru/Egor Filippov)

Fifteen years ago, former Capital Esa Tikkanen had a breakaway in game two of the Stanley Cup Finals. It could have iced the game for Washington and led them to the franchise’s first Cup. Instead, his shot completely missed the wide-open net and the Capitals were swept in four games by the Detroit Red Wings.

Caps prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov had his own painful playoff moment Friday. With Traktor Chelyabinsk trailing Dynamo Moscow in the KHL Finals 2-1, Kuzya had a chance to put Traktor in total control of game three, when he was sprung on a breakaway mid-way during the second period. At approximately 95 MPH, Kuznetsov performed his patented breakaway move where he fakes a forehand shot and then puts the puck waaaaaay on his backhand, trying to slip the biscuit past the goalie. It almost worked.

What a move. Traktor would end up losing to Ovi’s former KHL team 1-0, which will give Dynamo the chance to repeat as champs Monday in Moscow.

Regardless of Kuznetsov missing, his speed and skill was on full display once again. George McPhee must be salivating… or doing whatever an undertaker does.

Photo credit: Vitaly Gubin / HC Traktor

Caps prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov scored his team’s first-ever KHL finals goal and the fifth of his postseason, but his team couldn’t add to it. Dynamo took game one of the KHL finals, 2-1. In game two, Kuzynetsov picked up an assist, but Traktor lost again after allowing a late goal.

Early in game one, Dynamo’s forward Sergei Soin knocked Kuznetsov’s helmet off from behind. Kuznetsov didn’t retaliate, and Soin went to the box for roughing. Traktor didn’t generate anything on the ensuing power play, and a fast break by Dynamo’s speedy Denis Kokarev resulted in a shorthanded goal.

Midway through the second, Dynamo scored again. An aggressive forecheck by Sergei Konkov created an opportunity in front of the net that Soin converted on the rebound.

In the third period, Traktor had a chance to come back. 30 seconds in, Kuznetsov scored on this one-timer.

Then, top 2013 prospect Valery Nichushkin had a breakaway, but couldn’t beat Alexander Yeremenko.

Dynamo scored early again in the second game, Jakub Petruzalek capping off a nice passing play.

In the middle of the first period, Kuznetsov got an assist. He passed to veteran defenseman Dmitry Ryabykin, whose long-range shot was deflected in by Stanislav Chistov to tie the game.

As the second half of the game started, Traktor got a 5-on-3 and took advantage of it. Andrei Kostitsyn was first on the rebound to give his team the lead.

The third period was all Dynamo. Early on, Dominik Granak fired a low percentage shot that found its way past Michael Garnett. With less than three minutes to go, Nichushkin’s turnover behind his goal triggered a quick play by Dynamo that was finished by defenseman Janne Jalasvaara, whose shot got past a screened Garnett.

Later, Kuznetsov created a late flurry for his team by carrying the puck coast-to-coast, but Dynamo players were committed to block shots, limiting Traktor’s chances.

Kuznetsov takes a selfie at his locker after the game (Photo credit: Kuznetsov’s Instagram)

Evgeny Kuznetsov’s Traktor Chelyabinsk beat Ak Bars Kazan 2-1 in Game 7 of KHL Eastern Conference Finals. With goals by captain Vladimir Antipov and Andrei Kostitsyn (whose move to the Panthers is delayed again), Traktor pulled off an upset, coming back from 1-3 deficit in the series. Kuznetsov didn’t get any points in game seven.

Traktor, who has played in two games seven this postseason, both times trailing by two games in the series (0-2 and 1-3), will face Alex Ovechkin’s home team and the reigning champions, Dynamo Moscow, in the finals. This is the deepest Traktor has gone in the KHL postseason.

Dynamo beat SKA St. Petersburg 4-2 in the west finals for the second time in as many years.

Finals schedule:
Game 1: April 7, 9 AM ET in Moscow
Game 2: April 8, 11:30 AM ET in Moscow
Game 3: April 11, 9 AM ET in Chelyabinsk
Game 4: April 12, 9 AM ET in Chelyabinsk
Game 5: TBD in Moscow
Game 6: TBD in Chelyabinsk
Game 7: TBD in Moscow

Evgeny Kuznetsov is very excited for Vladimir Antipov’s goal (Photo credit: KHL)

The game might have been over for five seconds, but Kuzya (bottom right) isn’t done scoring.

Those who have read our site for years know that Evgeny Kuznetsov loves to taunt. Kayaking, push-ups, and playing-dead goal celebrations: he makes Alex Ovechkin and the hot stick look ascetic.

On Tuesday, as Traktor Chelyabinsk forced Ak Bars Kazan to game 7 in the KHL’s Eastern Conference Finals, Kuzya decided to shoot at the Ak Bars net as the buzzer blew. Ak Bars players did not appreciate Kuzya’s gesture, and the entire team skated after him at center ice. Kuznetsov, swift of skate, knowing his life was in danger, somehow avoided getting tackled. He did not, however, avoid getting punished: a 10-minute misconduct from the officials.

Kuznetsov contributed in the scoresheet, tallying a secondary assist on Jan Bulis’ powerplay goal eight minutes into the game.

Traktor has won two straight games to take Ak Bars Kazan into an all-or-nothing Game 7 on Wednesday. After a heartbreaking overtime loss in a 6-5 shootout in Game 5, Traktor and Ak Bars have gone back to the tight, defense-first hockey that both teams preach. In five other games, three of which went into overtime, the teams combined for 16 goals in 363 minutes of playing time– or 2.64 goals per 60 minutes.

After a dreadful start to the postseason, Kuznetsov has improved, netting four points in the first six games of this series.

Additional reporting by Fedor Fedin.

Photo credit: Vitaly Gubin / HC Traktor

Two days after a meteorite struck his hometown of Chelyabinsk, the normally-talkative Evgeny Kuznetsov was quiet. The Washington Capitals prospect and 20-year-old forward made no statement on Twitter. On Sunday, Kuznetsov let us know he was okay with a big breakaway goal in Traktor Chelyabinsk’s final game of the regular season, a 4-1 win over their biggest KHL rival, Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

Video below the jump.

Kuznetsov’s breakaway goal is at 2:35. Also, check out a nice tally by the top-ranked power forward of the 2013 Draft, Valery Nichushkin, at 1:50.

In 51 games played this season, Kuznetsov scored 19 goals, the same number he had last year in 49 games. Those 19 goals tie him for 14th in the league. He shares that position with Alex Ovechkin.

Kuznetsov did set career highs in points (44, sixth in the league), assists (25), time on ice (20:38), shots on goal (224), and PIMs (42).

The 2010 first round pick scored two game-winning goals this season and won 90 of 241 faceoffs, 37.3%.

The KHL playoffs are set to start on Wednesday. Traktor is slated to kick off their series at home against Barys Astana on Thursday, though the location or time of their game may change based on meteor damage to Traktor Arena.

Chelyabinsk Region Governor Mikhail Yurevich told the press that Traktor Arena had its windows blown out and suffered structural damage.

Per gubernator74.ru:

In the track and field hall, the old metal constructions have been blown out. We’ll have to replace them and tout the new windows. At the Ural Lightning [rink] the cost of the repairs may be up to 200 million rubles [6.5 million bucks]. There are cracks in Traktor Arena, the windows have been damaged in Yunost Ice Hall. Specialists should evaluate all building constructions, and then we’ll know about the amount of repairs. At the Ural Lightning Rink, the kids were skating and beams fell right on the ice. Thank God no one is hurt. We’ll of course repair everything, but the damage costs are already over 1 billion rubles [33 million dollars].

On Sunday, The Washington Post reported that about 40 Russians remained in hospitals Saturday, out of 1,200 who had sought treatment for injuries.

RMNB wishes a speedy recovery to everyone hurt by the blast.

Chelyabinsk Governor Mikhail Yurevich meets with a child injured by the meteor.

Additional reporting by Ian Oland.

Photo credit: KHL.ru

Last night’s meteor that struck Chelyabinsk, Russia, has damaged the Traktor Chelyabinsk’s arena. The KHL is doing an inpection now before a decision can be made whether Traktor can host the first round of the playoffs.

Press release via KHL’s Facebook page below.

The meteor shower which struck Chelyabinsk and its environs has also caused some disruption to the hockey season schedule. The emergency services have confirmed that the walls of the Arena Traktor were among those structures to suffer damage, and therefore large-scale events at the stadium have been postponed.

The sporting facilities will undergo an inspection by experts to assess the readiness of the arena to return to full operational use.

The results of the assessment will be made public on Monday, after which it will become clear whether the Chelyabinsk club can stage the first games of the play-offs. The knockout stages of the Gagarin Cup get underway on Wednesday, and as Traktor is already assured of a top four place in the Eastern conference, the team is due to start the play-offs with home games on the 21st and 22nd of February.

At this time, the meteor shower has not affected Traktor’s schedule, as the Chelyabinsk men finish their regular season campaign with a trip on the road to Magnitogorsk on Sunday. However, three events -today’s and tomorrow’s Youth Hockey League games between Belye Medvedi of Chelyabinsk and Magnitogorsk’s Stalnye Lisy and Saturday’s planned opening of the Traktor’s museum – have had to be postponed.