Evgeny Kuznetsov commented on Traktor’s chances of reaching the playoffs

Former Black and White hockey player and now Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov is confident that the Chelyabinsk team will be able to compete for the Gagarin Cup this year. He spoke about this in an interview with Match TV.

Kuznetsov emphasized that the team’s last season was “extraordinarily unsuccessful,” but now a good team has gathered in Chelyabinsk.

“Everyone was offended and upset by that failure, and their self-esteem dropped a little. But the guys are ambitious, everyone wants to play and win. Everyone’s eyes are shining this year – both the coaching staff and management are doing everything to ensure that the team plays well,” the hockey player noted.

Let us remind you that the 2022/2023 season for Traktor ended at the end of February. The Chelyabinsk team ended up outside the top eight of the Eastern Conference and did not qualify for the playoffs. In the offseason, the club did a lot of work to form a new roster, including adjustments to the coaching staff.

Currently, Traktor is in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. In the 2023/2024 season, which started on September 1, the “black and whites” played eight games in which they received nine points. Let us remind you that Traktor started the season on the road, where they beat Lada, but lost to Ak Bars and Lokomotiv. The first home series turned out to be more successful: first the Chelyabinsk team were able to take revenge for the first defeat from the same Lada, then beat Dynamo Minsk And “Motorist”however again lost to Lada in the final game of the series.