For the second time in two years, Evgeny Kuznetsov has requested a trade from the Washington Capitals, meaning there will be lots of talks this summer to gauge interest and hopefully complete a trade. The Capitals are set at center for the time being as long as Nicklas Backstrom stays healthy.
Recently, Dylan Strome has taken over the spot at center on the top line and the Capitals have already extended him for five years at $5 million AAV. This isn’t money of a top line center, but Washington could get a steal with him as he has shown flashes of brilliance in his career and is a former third overall pick. Kuznetsov is slotted in on the third line and not only can he likely see the direction of the team, he sees himself playing lower in the lineup than he would like. So let’s take a look at the three destinations that would make most sense for him to land this offseason.
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings weren’t quite there yet this season in terms of competing for a playoff spot. They had fallen back right before the deadline and decided to sell what they could. They have most of the pieces in place and next season they should have an actual shot of getting back into playoff contention. The team has a ton of cap space to work with, and as they will not only need to add a top defenceman and a goalie to help Ville Husso out, they could very much do with adding more talent up front.
This is where the Red Wings should have interest in Kuznetsov. After Dylan Larkin, Andrew Copp is the team’s next best centerman. He may be fairly good, but I would max him out as a middle-six forward. He played a lot on the third line over the past few years and that’s where he has been the most successful. If the Red Wings could get the personnel to be able to slot him in on the third line again, it would indicate that they have the talent to be able to compete for a playoff spot. Slotting Kuznetsov in on the second line for two years would help steer Detroit in the right direction and give them that extra boost to compete without a long-term commitment to a veteran in free agency.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes were searching for a top-six player, most notably a centerman to slot in on their second line at the trade deadline. They lost Max Pacioretty after very little time in the lineup this season as well as Andrei Svechnikov to a season-ending injury recently. Because of the timing, the Hurricanes didn’t do very much at the deadline in the way of upgrading their forwards. They acquired Jesse Puljujarvi who could arguably be best slotted in the bottom-six, but is playing high up in the lineup.
The second line center position has been a weak area for the Hurricanes this season as they know Jordan Staal is very comfortable and most effective on the third line, while Sebastian Aho is their first line center. That has left Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Paul Stastny to alternate this season, neither having great success. Kotkaniemi has assumed the spot, but that’s due to Stastny being a healthy scratch more in recent games. The team has cap space, so they could logically bring in Kuznetsov for his two remaining years as he has Stanley Cup experience and is perfect for the second line center position. He is a playmaker and his wingers would be Svechnikov and Martin Necas, both players who can score goals.
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are going to be given a little leeway to add a piece or two in the offseason because some of the bigger contracts are coming off the books. Their center depth has been very weak all season, especially while they dealt with injuries. The team has shown a ton of resilience and excelled in other aspects of the game. But the center needs to be addressed this offseason.
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The team is good in goal, on defence, and on the wing for the most part, but this season currently have Ryan Hartman, Joel Eriksson Ek, Frederick Gaudreau, and Connor Dewar as their centers with Sam Steel riding the bench. The first two are second line centers at best and Hartman has been playing above his weight class the past two seasons. Kuznetsov can easily be a top line center if need be. He has done so this season and over the past number of years, beating out Backstrom. Seeing how Kirill Kaprizov is a sniper, their Russian connection and Kuznetsov’s passing ability would work nicely.
So where would be the ideal destination for Kuznetsov? If there’s any other team you think could use his services, share your thoughts in the comments.
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