Evgeny Kuznetsov leaving Russia to join the Capitals

Washington Capitals prospect Evgeni Kuznetsov took to Twitter to make an important announcement on Monday, as paraphrased here by Dmitry Chesnokov of Yahoo Sports.

The 21-year-old even posted a picture of him packing his "luggage".

Chesnokov added "For all asking, @Kuzya92 says unfortunately it's not long left for him to live in his new condo as he's leaving Russia soon."

Kuznetsov remains under contract with Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL, a team that is currently holding down a playoff spot with the regular season set to wrap up on March 4. 

As the potential eighth seed, Traktor would be on track to meet league powerhouse Metallurg in the first round, where a victory would be considered a massive upset. As such, Kuznetsov could join the Capitals at some point in mid-March, providing a boost for a team fighting to qualify for NHL playoffs.

As outlined by Adam Vignan of NBC Washington, when Kuznetsov does make the move to Washington, he will have to sign a two-year, entry-level contract; "he will be 22 on Sept. 15 of this year, and 22- and 23-year-olds are required to sign two-year ELCs, per the NHL collective bargaining agreement." 

Since he was drafted in 2010, his maximum base salary per season will be $900,000; as per Capgeek, the Capitals will have just under $2-million in cap space once play resumes after the Olympics.

In 27 games for Traktor this season, Kuznetsov has scored seven goals and added ten assists. 

So after four long years, it appears as though Capitals fans will finally get a look at another young Russian who will bring no shortage of offensive firepower along with him.