The question Anaheim would need to answer is what effect does Kuznetsov have on the locker room and is it worth the gain in picks.

I'd do it but, I see why others wouldn't

Kuzy has a 10 team NTC meaning he can block the trade. Furthermore, we don't want another center, we've been playing Strome at the wing.

That's not to begin to ask questions about his locker room presence. If WSH does the work to find a partner that actually wants him Anaheim might be willing to retain in a 3 team deal, but it's incredibly unlikely we let him onto our roster.

I don't see a point to moving the first round pick in any trade that doesn't see us gaining a high end player back. Ryan Strome is a fine addition, but nothing in that trade justifies us moving a first.

And on the other side, the Ducks surely don't want Kuznetsov.

100% this. Only thing Cap should be using a 1st on is a legit young top line forward.

I think it's a bit of a stretch to believe that a young top line forward would be available for the pieces that the Caps have. Mid first round picks and a meager prospect pool plus an aging roster do not make for interesting trade pieces.

I think you answered your own question.

The 1st isn't for Strome, it's for someone to take Kuznetsov.

Remember when Kuznetsov was going to be the next big thing on the NHL. What happened? Did he pull a Semin and be good for like 2 seasons then fall off a cliff?

Uhh it doesn’t cost a first to move kuznetsov wtf. He has 2 years left on his contract, this one plus next year. He’s still a 2nd line center. There is a team out there that will take a flyer on kuznetsov especially if the caps retain. You’re ignoring the entire context of the capitals cap situation - they’re not desperate to move him. They’ll move him when a situation that makes sense comes up.

Also, no. Kuznetsov was a top line center and our best player on the cup run team and was still relevant for a long while after. But pretend you know what you’re talking about if you want.

I don't think Washington should do this, who knows what happens with them, that pick could be really good, I like Strome but he's a 45-50 point guy and Jones is a 4th liner, just not worth it to the Caps imo.

Leonard, Miro, Cristall, Suzdalev, Chesley, Iorio, etc. Think EP had them with the 11th best prospect pool this summer. It's a lot stronger than people think.

Caps are not going to spend a 1st to move on from Kuz. They'll buy him out before doing that. As for what happened to him, he just stopped caring. Really sucks. Do has all the tools to be a legit elite 1C and just doesn't put in the effort. He just glides eveywhere.

Huh? I asked what happened to him since he looked good a few years ago but is bad now. How do you classify a "long while"? It looks like he was really good 2015 - 2018, with the 2017 playoffs as his peak. His numbers are ok in 2019 and 2020 and were resurgent in 2021 but last year and this year are pretty bad.

So that's 4 years of dominance in a 7 year span. Semin was very good in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 and was ok (but hurt) in 2012. That's 4.5 years of dominance in a 7 year span.

Seems my comparison was pretty close.



That makes sense. A shame.

Your original comment was “Remember when Kuznetsov was going to be the next big thing on the NHL. What happened? Did he pull a Semin and be good for like 2 seasons then fall off a cliff?”

You have disproved your own original comment in literally the next response you made to me. I’ll call being a 1C who led his team in points on a cup winning team and having (by your undefined standards) anywhere from 4-6 seasons of dominance being “the next big thing” for a couple years. Someone will take a flyer on him with retention. At the end of the day, saying it costs a 1st to move kuznetsov when he has 1.5 years at his current hit, the resumé he has, and the skill set he has, is just not true.

He had 4 seasons where he was a PPG player and was very good. I think the English language will understand my statement of "for like 2 seasons" is a close enough value to the actual number of 4.

He didn't have 4-6 seasons of dominance. It was 4. And he had 1 good playoffs (2017). His goal and point totals (12 and 32) in 24 games are about the same as his goal and point totals (15 and 30) in 57 other playoff games. So yeah, I would think he pulled a Semin. Good for a few years and then bad (based on his contract "bad"). He hasn't been worth his contract in 3 years and hasn't been good in the playoffs since 2017.

Someone will sign him to a 2MM contract after Wash buys him out. The "next big thing" doesn't last 4 seasons, they last 10+. Look at Crosby, Ovechkin, Matthews, Malkin, McDavid, etc.

So my comment obviously struck a nerve. It was intended as a small wink-wink comment to Wash fans. I'm sorry that Wash "superstars" are pretty much Backstrom and Ovechkin and that Semin and Kuznetsov flamed out.

Also, the 1st to move kuznetsov is not based on skill. It's based on attitude. No one wants to take a chance on that attitude for 7.5MM. I don't think Wash would trade a 1st to get rid of him when they can buy him out, but it would cost a 1st to move him.

lol ok

I honestly think Verbeek might possibly be the least likely GM to acquire Kuznetsov. All of his additions are high effort, locker room type guys. Not to mention ANA has a surplus at C