Laine isn't a problem. He is just getting back to playing after an injury.

Washington declines. He's less of a problem than Laine is, gets paid 900k/yr less, is just as productive on a PPG basis, gets injured far less and plays the more valuable position (Center).

I gotta disagree............I'd take Laine at his cap hit for 3 more years than Kuz for 2. Kuz is terrible, and is one party night away from a snow storm hitting the CLB dressing room. Keep him away from the kids.

Look, we can absolutely debate whose contract and play is better or worse but that second part could simply not be further from the truth. Kuznetsov is well liked by his teammates and has had no issues with anything related to the locker room. The closest he's ever come to that is missing a singular team meeting and the guy has not been popped for Cocaine since the video in 2018. If we're going to discuss both these players, lets leave the made up TMZ drama out of it and stick to things that are rooted in reality.

You can claim he is no longer using cocaine, but it wasn't made up. He tested positive and was banned by the IIHF. That IS reality.

Reread my post again. Im not denying that he has once used Coke, but I am saying that since 2018, he has not failed a single drug test, and honestly I couldn't care less about the IIHF since he couldn't even compete anyway due to being Russian. The NHL has not failed him on any test since the original time in 2018, so to say he is "one party night away from a snow storm hitting the CLB dressing room. Keep him away from the kids." is straight up disingenous and untrue. He's never had issues with other players in the locker room and to incinuate that because of a test in 2018, that in 2023 he will be a danger to the younger players in the locker room is TMZ level drama reach.

I think he was trying to be funny, and you are taking it a little too serious. But, hey, that may just be my read of it.

As Kuzy seems to be the topic of more rumors that Nurse - another fine player, but grossly overpaid based on current performance - I see Kuzy getting jettisoned for another comparable cap hit/underperformed player or bought out after this year. Kind of what NSH did with Duchesne