For all the attention certain Washington Capitals stars get, such as Alex Ovechkin, John Carlson and Braden Holtby, there is one who skates in virtual anonymity.
Barely 26, he is signed through the mid-20s. Not his, but the 2020s. Last year Kuznetsov scored a career-high 83 points. During the Caps championship run, he led the squad with 32 points. Those 20 assists topped the playoff list.
You need to be a special forward to merit 20 minutes of ice time a night when it counts. Kuznetsov averaged 20:33.