Evgeny Kuznetsov

Trade rumor: Rangers interested in acquiring Evgeny Kuznetsov from Capitals

Evgeny Kuznetsov was suspended for disciplinary reasons by the Capitals during the 2020-21 regular season, part of some rule-breaking that caused Washington to be fined $100k, and contracted coronavirus twice. Those antics, combined with his struggles to return to his previous form in 2018, resulted in reports in May that the Capitals were looking to deal Kuzy over the offseason.

“I think we’re always open to trading people if it makes sense for what’s going on if it makes our team better,” Capitals GM Brian MacLellan said after the season. “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.”

During an appearance on TSN1260’s Jason Gregor Show, Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff reported that the New York Rangers, who are aggressively remaking their team under new GM Chris Drury, had shown interest in acquiring Kuznetsov as well as fellow star center Jack Eichel.

But Seravalli hedged that a Caps-Rangers deal wasn’t close, surmising that there hasn’t been “a ton” of interest in general on Kuznetsov.

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Frank Seravalli: Capitals tired of Evgeny Kuznetsov’s antics, ‘the time is right for change’

Evgeny Kuznetsov had the distinction of being one of the only players in the NHL to test positive for COVID-19 twice. Kuznetsov was suspended by the team, along with Kuzy’s close friend Ilya Samsonov, towards the end of the year for disciplinary reasons relating to being late to a team function, which may have played a role in the Caps’ third consecutive flameout in the first round.

Two reports in early May from the biggest insiders in the NHL, Pierre LeBrun and Elliotte Friedman, suggested the Capitals would explore moving on from Kuznetsov this summer. The Capitals are “running out of patience” with the Russian center, said Friedman.

Now comes a trade target analysis article from another big NHL analyst, Frank Seravalli, that wrote the “Caps are tired of Kuznetsov’s antics.”

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