Evgeny Kuznetsov signs 2-year, $6-million deal; bridge contracts live on

The Washington Capitals re-signed center Evgeny Kuznetsov to a two-year, $6 million contract extension, the team announced Monday.

Kuznetsov is coming off his first full year in which he scored 11 goals and 37 points in 80 games. In 14 games in the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs, he had seven points (five goals), and his 42 shots on goal were second on the Capitals to Alex Ovechkin’s 61.

Washington had extended a qualifying bid to Kuznetsov worth at least $945,000, or 105 % of his previous salary. It looks like a deal will be hammered out fairly soon.

It was expected that the Capitals would go with a 2-to-3-year deal with Kuznetsov, which works out well for both sides.

Marcus Johansson also needs to be re-signed or possibly dealt to add some more depth at center. He will be two years away from unrestricted free agency at the conclusion of his contract.

Kuznetsov began his first National Hockey League season slowly, but as the campaign progressed, his confidence began to grow, and he became more comfortable as coach Barry Trotz used him as one of the team’s top six forwards.

Kuznetsov was drafted by the Capitals with the 26th pick of the first round in 2010. The others are Toronto’s Gerry Ehman in 1953 (at Boston), Montreal’s Claude Lemieux in 1986 (vs. Hartford in OT), Calgary’s Perry Berezan in 1986 (at Edmonton), Dallas’ Roman Lyashenko in 2000 (vs. Colorado) and New Jersey’s Adam Henrique in 2012 (vs. Florida in 2OT). Oshie in a trade with the St.