Now it’s 2020, and Evgeny Kuznetsov has six years of time in being the Capitals second centerman mainstay. He has developed into a consistent 60-80 point producing setup man, capable of throwing in 20-30 goals a year. The Capitals great power play unit would not have developed into the success story it is today if not for his contributions.
No one will ever forget the run he went on in the 2017-2018 playoffs where he played an integral part in moving the Capitals into a position to take the Stanley Cup. He went on to lead all players in the playoff scoring with 32 points (12 G, 20 A), and rightly earned the contract he signed as an extension the previous summer.