Washington Capitals General Manager confirms member of the team's top six has requested a trade
After one of their most disappointing seasons in recent franchise history, missing the playoffs for the first time in eight years, the Washington Capitals are looking to make significant changes.
The team likely wishes to re-tool and remain competitive for the remainder of Alexander Ovechkin's career, and one significant piece they could trade is his countryman, Evgeny Kuznetsov, who has already requested a trade. In a piece for NHL.com, Mike Vogel re-iterated Kuznetsov's trade request and where he stands with the team.
Kuznetsov's trade request was first made known in the middle of last season, which had been his most disappointing season offensively in years. In 81 games, Kuznetsov only scored 12 goals and 55 points - which does not meet the expected value of his $7.8M cap hit.
However, with only two years left remaining on his deal including next season, with some personal success, Kuznetsov could fetch the Capitals' a nice trade package if he bounces back offensively at the beginning of the season.
According to Vogel's piece, the Capitals aggressively tried to move some players at the draft, including Kuznetsov and forward Anthony Mantha, and yet were unable to complete a deal at that time. Now in the offseason, time is wasting to make a move - it's possible that a Kuznetsov trade won't occur until as late as the trade deadline.
