After his stint in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program in February and being cleared by the NHLPA to join his team for practice on Saturday, center Evgeny Kuznetsov was placed on waivers by the Washington Capitals later in the day.
Regardless of whether the 31-year-old gets claimed, the team will be on the hook for the rest of Kuznetsov’s salary for the next two seasons ($7.8 million cap hit).
MacLellan said he did not discuss with Kuznetsov and his agent whether he would report to Hershey if he’s assigned there.
— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) March 2, 2024
Washington tried to trade Kuznetsov during the 2021 and 2023 offseasons but could not find a taker either time.
He has had his worst season to date, tallying six goals and 17 points in 43 games. Kuznetsov, who has not played since January 27, was a healthy scratch in a 5-0 loss to the Arizona Coyotes on December 4.
The move frees up some space under the NHL salary cap with the trade deadline less than 144 hours away (3 PM ET on Friday). Washington entered Saturday five points out of a wild-card spot with a game in hand on the Tampa Bay Lightning and four back of third place in the Metropolitan Division with two games in hand on the Philadelphia Flyers after Friday’s 5-2 win over Philadelphia.
President of hockey operations & general manager Brian MacLellan meets with the media ahead of the trade deadline on March 8.#ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/PpeixnFqco
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) March 2, 2024
The team hosts Arizona on Sunday (1 PM ET, Monumental Sports Network locally, NHL Network nationally) and visits the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday before the deadline.
By Harrison Brown
Don’t the Caps have 3 games in hand on TBL?
yes, 62-59
Someone will claim him, hope for a resurgence.
Highly unlikely given his cap hit and very poor season.
POHO Mac felt the need to call a press conference this morning …Talked about moving on from Kuznetsov, putting Kuzy on waivers. Preparing for trade deadline. Like always Mac got a little testy with obvious prying questions, “No I’m not going to dump half the roster” and suchlike. Gave much accolades to Spencer Carbery for “navigating choppy waters” with Backstrom bowing out, Kuzy flaming out, transition from those two to young newbies, and making all of it work reasonably well
But always entertaining, these POHO Mac interviews. He makes it abundantly clear when he’s Pi$$ed off (like with Kuzy), and never gives into a reporter’s “fishing expedition.” In general I don’t think too many teams want to face Ovechkin and Wilson and the Caps going down the stretch
Explain why they are ‘on the hook for 50% regardless of him getting claimed’? If he gets claimed, that team assumes full terms of his contract (which is why there’s zero chance he gets claimed). Also, his contract is not for ‘next two seasons’, next season is final year of his deal
You’re correct. I would be more concerned about him refusing to report to Hershey than another team claiming him.
I think we could be going the Bogosian route.
They should just buy him out. He can get a fresh start elsewhere
Can’t mid-season.
He should pay them back for non-performance! People like myself payed to see him play! Ridiculous to be so selfish and immature!
According to The Hockey Writers, ” If claimed by a team, that team must assume the player’s existing contract and it is taken off the player’s former team’s books.”
When a team wants to terminate a player’s contract, they place the player on unconditional waivers. This is usually done to buy out a player’s contract. It’s similar to Regular Waivers, but no team has ever placed a claim on this type of waived player. It can only happen in June during a two-week window. [The Bogo case below seems to contradict this]
Once a player is placed on waivers, other teams have 24 hours to place a claim. If no team places a claim on the player, he can be officially assigned to the team’s minor league affiliate in the AHL. That said, a team doesn’t have to place a player in the minors. In 2011, the Philadelphia Flyers placed Nikolay Zherdev on waivers and no team made a claim. The Flyers then had 30 days to assign Zherdev to the Adirondack Phantoms. The Flyers chose not to do this, and after the 30 days expired Zherdev had to stay on the team.
[What if the player refuses to go?] While under contract in February 2020, the Buffalo Sabres placed Zach Bogosian on waivers. After 24 hours, no team placed a claim for Bogosian, so he was eligible to be assigned to the team’s AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. The Sabres assign him there. The Sabres suspend Bogosian without pay for failure to report to the Americans. This took Bogosian off the Sabres’ books in regards to the team’s cap. Though he has little value, Sabres can still try to negotiate a trade. This would likely mean the Sabres would be retaining all or part of his salary. The Sabres place Bogosian on unconditional waivers with the intention of terminating his contract. This voids the remaining money on his current contract and makes Bogosian an unrestricted free agent and able to sign with another team. Bogosian signs a one-year $1.3 million contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning.”
So the Sabres got nothing for Bogo but also paid nothing, traded nothing, and suffered no cap hit. Tampa got him without a trade and under new contract conditions. Tampa got no only a good hockey player but an excellent team BBQer who hosted their cookouts and Thanksgiving dinners. I have a BBQ spatula made from one of his hockey sticks.
God forbid if GM did admit that his “off ice” issues (post cup “snow fall”celebration) are real reasons for him entering program & now being put on waivers!
Think back to something that Glen Sather used to tell players “…if I’am not your first call when problems come up,thier better be damn good reason!”,to me giving the Name players a pass hasn’t worked,didn’t with Samsonov.
Nobody will take chances with aging head case,at least not at current salary.
So if I can’t blame drugs for you comments, is it just the Alberta education system?
Let’s hope Kuzy the person is okay and will continue to be okay. Since he helped us win our first SC, the least the Caps organization can do is help him to a new team of his choice.
End of the line for Kuzy?
Most think Kuzy won’t get claimed and I agree. No one will put 7.8 on their cap with a currently troubled person. It’s decision time for him now. Report to Hershey and get it together or refuse, then he and Caps can negotiate a settlement. This next few days will be interesting for sure.
If I’m Ovie…. retarded GMBM’s next moves tell me if I request a trade or not. Honestly as a Caps fan I would be fine with Ovie requesting a trade from GMBM’s dumpster fire. He deserves better, Caps fans deserve better.
What a pathetic completely avoidable situation the Capitals are in due to GMBM’s lack of urgency and incompetence. GMBM has done nothing but gamble on warm bodies.
If you are not ticked at GMBM and vocalizing it, take your Caps Jersey off, you are not a real fan, you are a mindless sheep who is conditioned my Capitals PR.
Regardless this is GMBM’s mess and he needs to be replaced.
Woah
Bummer to see Kuzy leave on unhappy terms. He was an integral player on our only Stanley Cup winner. He deserved the Conn Smythe. He was a demon in the playoffs that year.
But it is what it is. Kuzy was always a free spirit and I love free spirits. He was a fantastic #2 Center to Backstrom at #1. Those guys created so much offense for us. It could be 20+ years before we see that level of offense again. That said, Kuzy’s game was mostly a train wreck this year and he’s been flakey for the last 3 or 4 years. He has the talent to regain some of his form but I don’t think he has the head for it. All the best Kuzy and his family.
I would have a lot more sympathy for Kuzy if I felt he was the victim and the Caps were the villains. But Kuzy has done this to himself and his family. The Caps have really been a great employer. They have given Kuzy ample opportunities to get his act together and fly straight.
I hope that he and his family can come out of this stronger. Although cleared to play he is still part of the program and I hope that he and his family continue to take advantage of the help it offers.
I agree, nova. It looks like Kuzy largely flaked on his contract after the Cup win. Well, it’s finished now.
What if he went to Hershey and helped them win another Calder? I see a lot of upside to that for him. And I would enjoy watching it.