Not trying to be harsh or troll here, but this is legitimately one of the worst offers I’ve seen for Toews.

I kinda think a one for one of Kuznetsov for Toews is fair on the ice, with Kuznetsov adding a bit more goal scoring and a few more points in his best playoffs, more recently, but Toews being a bit better defensively. Kuznetsov is 4 years younger and $3M cheaper. Under a flat cap, a one for one is pretty good for Chicago. I offered it. You pointed out that Kuznetsov joined Grant Fuhr and Theoren Fleury as NHL stars who got help for drug problems and kept on playing at a high level. So here's the best offer for Kuznetsov, forwarded to Chicago.

Most of the offers you see for Toews assume retention, but Chi only has one retention left this year. If they hold onto it, that can maximize the value they get for Kane or Keith at the deadline. ADL is a very good offensive defenseman. Strome broke out last year, playing with Panarin so it might be tough to figure out his value. Given that Kuznetsov's likely got more left in the tank than Toews, if you want more, what else would Chicago want from the Rangers to get this done?

#1 Toews and Kane aren't going anywhere this season.

#2 IF, and it's a BIG IF, the Hawks and Toews or Kane agree to be moved, it's only going to be for picks, prospects and under 25 year old players unless it's a cap dump. The way to rebuild, and trading either would be a tear down rebuild, is to acquire prospects/players that fit the window for cup runs at least 4 years from now.

As such, this makes zero sense.

You guys need to at least look up the players offered before commenting.

ADL is 24 years old and tied for 2nd in even strength points by an RHD this past season. http://www.nhl.com/stats/skaters?reportType=season&seasonFrom=20192020&seasonTo=20192020&gameType=2&position=D&shootsCatches=R&filter=gamesPlayed,gte,1&sort=evPoints&page=0&pageSize=100

If you think there's a better offer for Toews' twilight years, without retention, post a link to how wrong you are.

Why wouldnt the Rangers just make the trade for Toews for themselves?

Because Kuznetsov>Toews at offense, goals, single season playoff points, youth, cap hit, and speaking Russian with Panarin. Make sense?

eta: I did ask myself this before posting, and the short answer is "be my guest."

2nd edit: the follow-up then, is why does WSH look at this when they have Ovechkin? Toews is pretty good defensively, and the Caps score enough goals. I don't expect the Caps to contend in years 4-5 of Kuznetsov's cheap contract, so letting Toews walk and rebuilding seems okay, if the Caps add a couple of B prospects for depth, and get a little better at defense in the short term.

Panarin hasnt had anyone Russian on his squad and it hasnt hampered him one bit so thats moot. However he played his first 2 years in the NHL with Toews.

Secondly, it would probably cost the Rangers less to just go after Toews rather than Kuzy. Personally, I dont like Kuzy anyway.

Panarin and Toews were credited with points on the same goal eleven times in two years, counting playoffs. Panarin and Anisimov were credited with a point on the same goal 49 times in two years: https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/p/panarar01/scoring/2017

Kuznetsov and Panarin come from the same town, have known each other since they were five, and won Gold together at World Juniors in 2011. Also, Kuznetsov is slightly better than Anisimov, lately.

Kuznetsov is four years younger than Toews, and has five years left on his contract compared to three. He's $3M cheaper. If NYR prefer Toews, they should by all means go and get him, but a top line of Panarin, Kuznetsov, and Buchnevich would be ridiculously skilled.

Ill never be sold on Kuzy. Sure he can put up points but hes soft, doesnt play defense and sucks on faceoffs.

Sometimes he plays defense.... but yeah, faceoffs and consistent backchecking are why I've got the Caps trading him for a guy four years older, $3M more expensive who hasn't broken 30 points in a single postseason and hasn't come quite as close to a 30 goal season. That's exactly it.

Also, as far as depth charts, the Caps have Protas maybe a year away, as a Russian speaking center, doing okay in the KHL right now. The Rangers already have two Russian speaking top-six wings, and have Kravtsov ready to debut as a third Russian-speaking wing with no centers. The simpler move to equalize that would be something next summer involving Buchnevich and Kuznetsov, with NYR adding a bunch of picks and prospects. That would give WSH one more year of Ovechkin and Kuznetsov together to contend, and then let them get younger and cheaper to accommodate Ovechkin's raise next year.

But as far as soft, neither of them is going to give you 100 hits in a season. It just won't happen. Kuznetsov and Toews are skill players who stay out of the corners and stay away from the boards so they can keep their wits about them for when their teammates give them the puck. That works just fine for their teams, and I wouldn't change a thing about it. They each get more hits each year than Panarin, Kakko, Chytil, or Fox, but it really doesn't matter, because centers aren't expected to mix it up along the boards like wings and defensemen are. Soft? Are you serious? Or does insulting guys on here just make you happy?

You call it insult, I call it truth. Kuzy is soft. Rangers dont need more guys who wont backcheck and wont make life difficult. Toews doesnt need to be overty physical in the same way Bergeron doesnt need to be overtly physical when your defensive game is so good. Kuzy doesnt make up for the lack of physicality in his game with backchecking and defense.

Kuznetsov's good for 40-60 hits a year. I just named four Rangers forwards who didn't get to 30 last year. I agree the Rangers don't need to get softer. Kuznetsov would hardly be the problem. He'd be a small part of the solution. Toews is normally in the same range as Kuznetsov with a high around 70, once.

I missed the random meaningless "see, here is the proof" factoids.

Welcome back. We'll all be glad to get more fact-free certainty in the conversation again.

Well, for right handed left wing at even strength of defensive zone starts on Wednesdays against teams with green in their jersey after breaking a stick the previous shift... I am the 2nd. That is obvious proof that I could be traded for another team's actual star player with them keeping 50% retention. Why does literally nobody else see that?