Maple Leafs Dodge A Bullet With Kuznetsov as Drama Already Begins Weeks After Signing New Deal
Evgeny Kuznetsov's play in the KHL shows the Toronto Maple Leafs really dodged a bullet by not signing him to a contract before the 2026-26 season began.
There isn't a whole lot to be excited about for fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs right now, especially after a 6-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The defeat tainted a milestone moment for John Tavares, while leaving fans frustrated with the team's effort.
Despite that, the Maple Leafs can breathe a sigh of relief on one front, which has to do with missing out on an offseason signing.
Evgeny Kuznetsov's Play in the KHL Shows Maple Leafs Avoided a Terrible Signing
Before the 2025-26 season began, the Maple Leafs were officially a finalist in the Evgeny Kuznetsov sweepstakes. Kuznetsov ultimately decided to return to the KHL with Metallurg, and it's fair to say things aren't going well.
After going pointless in his previous four games, Kuznetsov wasn't just benched by coach Andrei Razin. He was told to hit the showers just five minutes into the game, and watched the rest in his street clothes from the stands.
Maple Leafs Avoid Catastrophe by Not Signing Evgeny Kuznetsov
Given the frustrating start to the new hockey year, the last thing the Toronto Maple Leafs need in their lineup is someone underperforming, or not performing at all.
Kuznetsov's difficulties in the KHL show he is simply no longer an NHL calibre player, and signing him to any sort of contract, even at minimum salary, would have been a huge mistake.
The Maple Leafs have plenty of work to do to get back to where they should be in this young season so far, but at least they don't have this anchor of a contract to distract them from righting the ship in the meantime.
| POLL | ||
8 HOURS AGO | 128 ANSWERS Maple Leafs Dodge A Bullet With Kuznetsov as Drama Already Begins Weeks After Signing New Deal Do you think Evgeny Kuznetsov has played his last NHL game? | ||
