This afternoon, it's confirmed that Evgeny Kuznetsov's NHL career is ending, at least for now. According to the Russian news source Championat, Kuznetsov will be signing a 4-year contract with SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL.
It's unclear why Kuznetsov made this decision. He joined Carolina after being traded by the Washington Capitals at the trade deadline. Under new GM Eric Tulsky, the Hurricanes will place him on waivers to buy out his contract.