Evgeny Kuznetsov apparently wants out of DC.
According to Russian outlet Match TV, Kuznetsov has requested a trade away from the Washington Capitals through his agent. The request isn’t new, either, with Kuznetsov first asking for the move two years ago.
The article, entitled Kuznetsov has been asking Washington for a trade for two years, was published on Saturday.
Match TV writes in its article (as translated by Google Translate):
As it became known to Match TV, Washington forward Evgeny Kuznetsov wants to leave the club of his own free will.
On Friday, the North American media reported that Washington could trade Kuznetsov in the offseason. However, as it became known to Match TV, Kuznetsov himself has been asking the Capitals for an exchange for the second year through his agent. Previously, the capital club was not ready for this.
The news comes as The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir published a mailbag article, revealing that “Caps’ decision-makers are disappointed in Kuznetsov’s season” and that “trust is broken” between the two parties.
There has also been reported friction between the two sides in the past. According to TSN insider Pierre LeBrun, the Caps were exploring a trade of Kuznetsov during the 2021 offseason after he began to “irritate some members of the Caps’ organization.”
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman added that he believed the Caps were “running out of patience” with Kuznetsov after he and netminder Ilya Samsonov were late to a team meeting. Kuznetsov would soon after be placed in COVID protocol and miss the start of the postseason.
Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan did not deny those reports.
“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 has two more seasons left on his deal that carries a $7.8 million cap hit. His contract also holds a modified no-trade clause, allowing him to submit a 10-team no-trade list.
The Russian centerman saw his role on the Capitals decrease this season — he was bumped off the first line and first unit power play in favor of Dylan Strome — and his production dropped precipitously, posting one of his worst seasons in Washington. After being nearly a point-per-game player (78 points in 79 games) in 2021-22, Kuznetsov has only 52 points in 72 games this season — though he is one of only three Caps players to have 50 or more points as the team is set to miss the playoffs for the first time in nine years.
Since winning the Stanley Cup in 2018 and leading the Capitals in playoff points, Kuznetsov has found trouble off the ice as he’s been suspended for drug use, contracted COVID *twice* following repeated protocol violations, and faced a team-levied suspension for disciplinary reasons.
This isn’t the first time a player has asked for a trade during Laviolette’s tenure in DC. Most notably, Jonas Siegenthaler requested a move out of DC during the 2020-21 season after the team prioritized usage of veteran Zdeno Chara over him during the 2020-21 season. Jakub Vrana has also been quite public about his displeasure with his role with the Capitals before being dealt.
Headline photo: Alan Dobbins/RMNB
