GMBM "isn't looking to simply offload Mantha... Any trade would need to improve the Caps.

A move like this seems likely - a swap of pending UFAs and Vancouver moves up significantly in this draft. Caps gain the player who is slightly younger and has a lower cap hit, although both players probably have similar ceilings. Who knows if Vancouver is interested - I think getting the 40th overall pick in the draft may be enticing enough to make this swap.

The caps will likely move on from Kuznetsov, but they’re not moving him just to move him. I think they send him off to the highest bidder for some cap space, and then in a corresponding move, they make the next trade here.

Note: doesn’t have to be to Columbus. Again, to the highest bidder.

Caps take the pick from the Kuznetsov trade and flip it for Dube. They also take advantage of their growing prospect pool to flip Iorio to the Flames. Iorio can make the jump to the NHL this season. He looked good with the caps at the end of this past season, but our RHD is set up for the next three years minimum.

The caps get aggressive in trades and add a young impact player in Debrincat.

(Side note: the trade that both sides on this site generally seem to agree on is Lapierre, the 2024 1st and 2023 2nd. I already traded the second, so I’m trying to make up for that value with two third round picks)