Evgeny Kuznetsov speaks up on struggles with RA in the Player Assistance Program

Evgeny Kuznetsov was a longtime powerhouse in the lineup for the Washington Capitals, recording 568 points in 723 games with the team. Yet after a less impressive season in the Player Assitance Program and the Carolina Hurricanes, the 32-year-old veteran forward has officially departed from the league. Kuznetsov will be part of St. Petersburg's team in the KHL.

Yet, it has now become clear there was more happening behind the scenes with this player's medical status in his last partial season with the Capitals. In a recent interview, Kuznetsov shared that he had recently been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a debilitating autoimmune disorder that causes increased pain and inflammation in joints. This was enough to reduce his viability in Washington's lineup and ultimately forced his hand into joining the NHL/NHLPA Player Assitance Program.

However, his recovery issues did not stop there. Kuznetsov expressed that not only did he have to endure the pain that comes with RA, but also the total lack of a support community. According to the veteran forward, no one believed him and Capitals GM Brian McLellan was not even aware of the player's issues.

While we can appreciate that Evgeny Kuznetsov is doing much better after proper treatment, this does highlight a greater issue in the NHL, or at the very least, amongst the Washington Capitals. No team can rely on success if they are not doing what they can to take care of their players. Hopefully, they can take this as a learning opportunity before losing more of their best players to the KHL.

Source: Russian Machine Never Breaks
Evgeny Kuznetsov explains how an autoimmune disease led to him entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance program