Two Finalists in Evgeny Kuznetzov Sweepstakes Emerge, Including One Specific Canadian Team

This off-season has been a slow one around the NHL, but for the most part, there have been plenty of trades, signings and extensions with the season just a matter of weeks away.

One big domino that is yet to fall is forward Evgeny Kuznetsov, who is motivated to return to the NHL after a one-year stint in the KHL last season, with rumours swirling this off-season about all the interest in the veteran.

Despite rumoured interest from many teams, it appears to now be down to just two teams, with a report from RG Media revealing that the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers are the two teams currently considering signing the former Stanley Cup Champion.

This move would certainly make sense for Florida on the back of the injury to captain Aleksander Barkov, and in Toronto, Kuznetsov would present as a perfect 3C to give their lineup some depth ahead of another highly anticipated campaign.

In the KHL last season, Kuznetsov posted 12 goals and 37 points in 39 games played, and while he likely isn't going to produce at that level in the NHL, it's safe to say that he could play a role in the bottom-six.

These two teams aren't the only ones with interest in Kuznetsov, but he likely wants to play for a contender, and with Toronto and Florida offering a solid role and a chance at a Stanley Cup, they make sense as teams to target the 33-year old.