BREAKING: Capitals Star Requests Trade Due to Rebuild
Evgeny Kuznetsov, a player for the Washington Capitals, has reportedly requested a trade from the team, according to a report from Match TV. This is not the first time Kuznetsov has expressed a desire to be traded, as he made a similar request two years ago.
There is a reason for this trade request, it appears that the relationship between Kuznetsov and the Capitals has deteriorated. It was reported that the Captials explored the possibility of trading Kuznetsov during the 2021 offseason because he began to annoy some of the members of the Capitals.
It was added by Elliotte Friedman, a reporter for Sportsnet, that Kuznetsov and Samsonov were late for a team meeting, which caused the Capitals to lose more patience with him.
Brian MacLellan, the GM for the Capitals, did not deny these reports, stating that:
"I think we're always open to trading people if it makes sense for what's going on if it makes our team better,» MacLellan said in 2021. «I don't think anybody's off the table. We're not going to trade Ovi or Backy, those types of people, but you have to be open on anything. So we would talk to anybody about any player.»
Kuznetsov still has two years left on his contract with a $7.8 million cap hit, and he can submit a 10-team no-trade list due to a modified no-trade clause.
The Capitals have reduced Kuznetsov's role this season, moving him to the second line while Dylan Strome took over his spot on the first line. Additionally, Kuznetsov's stats have sharply declined since his near point-per-game performance in the 2021-2022 season, where he scored 78 points in 79 games. The Capitals are currently on track to miss the playoffs for the first time in nine years.
Kuznetsov has also faced several off-ice issues, including drug use suspensions and a team-levied suspension for misconduct.
While Kuznetsov and the Capitals both seem to want a trade, it remains to be seen which team will be willing to take on Kuznetsov and his contract.
Source: Hockeypatrol.com
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MARS 27 | 300 ANSWERS BREAKING: Capitals Star Requests Trade Due to Rebuild Do the Capitals have a brighter future than the Oilers? | ||
| Yes | 47 | 15.7 % |
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