Caps prospect Kuznetsov reups in KHL for 2 years

It should not be a surprise.  Washington Capitals 2011 first rounder Evgeny Kuznetsov will not appear in Washington in 2012-13.  He has signed a new 2 year deal with Traktor Chelyabinski of the Russian KHL League.

In the post-season press conference after the Capitals were eliminated from the Eastern Conference playoffs, Caps GM George McPhee made clear he did not expect Kuznetsov to be in Washington this coming season.  It's an obvious blow tot he Caps.  Kuzenetsov has also made clear that he does not plan on playing in the Capitals organization, except for Washington itself.  He sees himself above the AHL level of play and has no plans to start his North American career in Hershey.   I would not expect Kuznetsov to appear in a Caps uniform earlier than 2014.