REPORTS: Evgeny Kuznetsov: he sought assistance due of his drug use

Evgeny Kuznetsov joined the player assistance program in February of last year. The forward, who was then with the Capitals, made the decision to stand back and tend to his own needs.

It was the correct thing to do if that’s how he felt.

That being said, given the forward’s history, there was reason for concern at the moment. His use of cocaine had been documented on camera, so there was reason for alarm.

However, Kuznetsov recently discussed his time in the program and provided an explanation for it in an interview with the Russian media site Sport-Express.

What the Russian explains is that he’s struggling with rheumatoid arthritis, or rheumatoid arthritis. It’s a condition characterized by pain in the joints, pain that can sometimes be very intense.

It was for this reason that he began abusing medication. The pain was so intense that, for a year, he could only sleep two hours a night, which is obviously not enough.

What upset Kuznetsov, though, was the fact that people around him didn’t believe him when he explained what was bothering him. Capitals GM Todd McLellan wasn’t even aware that his forward was in such pain.

The good news is that the program seems to have helped the Russian. He hasn’t taken any medication or had any injections for three months, and he says he’s been feeling better ever since.