Bye Bye Kuzy

If the Wild want that deal, I think it keeps the Caps just as competitive, and a little more youthful, except at center, where Kuznetsov, at 25, is the youngest top six center in the organization. I think they could fix that with other trades of defensive prospects for offensive prospects, but in the last couple years, Kuznetsov has been at least as consistent and as amazing of a setup guy as Staal, plus he's seven years younger. Niederreiter is a 24 year old perennial 20 goal scorer, so that puts some youth back into the Caps' forward corps. Then they can make trades for center prospects, or try to find a bargain on the UFA market.

I'm ignoring your defense, because it's become a cliche to cut Orpik after the TV announcers called him slow against the Penguins. He's one of the toughest defensemen in the NHL, and that helps in the playoffs. Liles is eight years removed from being a productive offensive defenseman. What does he bring that the Caps won't get from rotating their prospects through the third pair?

So you get Johansson BACK for less than you received? Got it.

The wild would love to add a young center like Kuzy and the money makes sense for them as well, but this would be a little bit too much of an over-payment in my mind. Drop the picks and you would be closer, but looking at the point and goal totals I just don't think we'd give up that amount simply because he's a center that is young. I assume Staal will regress this year, but even then you could make the case that other than position, Nino and Kuzy's production is comparable.

Nino&Staal=
25g 32a+28g 37a=53g&69a=122pts

Kuznetsov=
19g 40a=59pts

What about Staal and Zucker for Kuzy?

Wild have cap issues too, and to take on the overpaid Kutz long term seem like a poor idea to me. Really you could argue that Nino and Kutz are about the same. With that contract, Caps would have to add not Minni. Oshie has a modified NTC and I doubt if any team really wants to take on his contract long term. Caps would certainly need big retention on any trade.

This doesn't make sense for the Caps. They might be better at wing, but definitely are worse at center.