There's many reason Couture is better then Kuznetsov.
Kuznetsov is just younger, outside that he has no edge in any way over Couture IMO

Given Pavelski was underestimated at a similar age and how well he's done.
I'd rather roll the dice on Age not effecting Couture that much over Kuznetsov miraculously becoming consistent season to season

Thank you! Remember both Pavelski and Couture trained with Marleau and he was a beast in the gym and pushed those two plus guys like Burns and Thornton and all of them praise Marleau for teaching them how to keep fit and prolong their careers.

Agreed
He taught them the Physical but also the Mental part of Transitioning from Being the Youth Leading to Mentoring the Youth Leading.

I'm not arguing against the values of Couture and Barabanov, I'm just not sure it makes a ton of sense for the Capitals right now to trade a first in 2025 (or 2024 for that matter) when you really don't know if the team is going to be pushing for the playoffs in a really tough Eastern Conference. The Caps should be in a spot where they can have a "shorter" rebuild after this current contention window ends for sure. I just think that if the Caps were willing to move high end picks for roster players, we would have seen those trades already this summer.

Since Kuznetsov who's really worked out for WSH in the First round since 2010 anyways?
Now Ryan Leonard i fully believe is an upgraded Tom Wilson type and a player im jealous you got for sure.
But outside that its good on Paper but not in Practice like Miroshnichenko who's playing with Yakupuv in the KHL well behind his peers taken way later in the draft.
I mean MTL's 4th round pick finished 24th among Rookies with 25pts in 64 games at 19 a full year + ahead of Miroshnichenko who bounced from KHL to AHL equivalent to Junior Equivalent where he stayed.
MTL's younger later pick Konyuskov was taken the same draft and was a year older accomplishing more then your guy despite being smaller in a position that takes years to grow into a regular role there.
He literally walked in out of the draft and took a top 4 spot producing at both ends without being a defensive liability like our other Prospect who's taken the Miroshnichenko path to the KHL in Kostenko.

Despite all the opportunity in the KHL and their version of the AHL for minutes
Your boy simply cant adjust and find any success while our midget RD is thriving all around at greater minutes.
Its kinda the tale of WSH picks as Mcmicheal WSH 1st round pick has played more games and had less success then MTL's 201st OA pick that year who nearly doubled his Goals in half the games.
Alexyev went before Romanov, but finishes behind him in every respect as he has 2 Gagarin cup finals with 1 cup , SCF with no cup be 22
Johanson went way before Mete and despite being a Midget its Mete who has a NHL Career to speak about. Hell even Pezzetta finished well ahead of Johanson that draft.

Its the same trend in WSH year in and out since Ross Mahoney was Promoted to GM and never found a True Heir while he's spread thin trying to do it all.
MTL was like that too which is why i stopped talking crap at 2016/2017 when we began re-staffing our Draft Dept.
WSH has the same guy leading Player Development for 23 years which seemed good until about 8 years ago give or take.
Mahoney can draft them but if Richmond cant develop it , its a waste of a draft pick even if Mahoney was batting at a high average he used to before promoted.
Fire Richmond and hire Mahoney a replacement for real

Came with some aggression on this one lol

1. Mahoney isn't the Caps' GM, Brian MacLellan is
2. The Caps either traded or had late picks with basically every draft pick since 2010.
3. I would argue Tom Wilson, Andre Burakovsky, and Jakub Vrana were all pretty solid first round picks for the Caps, as all three had pretty decent roles on the 2018 cup winning team. Filip Forsberg also turned out to be a pretty good pick in the 1st round in 2012, but McPhee traded him for Erat...
4. Miroshnichenko is coming off of cancer recovery. Is that a fair comparison? We'll see how he looks on NA ice this season.
5. Keep talking about all that with MTL picks, but MTL wishes they could have the team success the Capitals have had in the Ovechkin era.

Ive been debating landing spots for Sergei Federov when he comes to the NHL
WSH and DET are the 2 big ones with TBL/FLA also being in the mix as he has homes in DET and FLA


While WSH seems logical its always last choice because of the above stated issues.
If Federov captures 3 straight Gagarin Cups in 3 years as Coach he wont stay in the KHL much after that as it can only go downhill from there or become redundant.
To Further Russian Hockey he has to become a Coach in the NHL and win a Stanley Cup which i believe he'll do.
Odds are likely in DET if anywhere but if WSH fixes those issues who knows

1.Yeah i knew that i apparently missed that on the Proof read and is an omission for sure
2.Which is why i didnt bring up the Traded Picks , good call given the success of the ones you kept which was the point.
3.Wilson is great but a top 20 pick ? but fine ill give you Wilson despite being a 30-40pts player you spent a top 20 pick on. The other two Richmond held back and they thrived once they left. 23 years there but his development has been questionable for coming up on a decade seemingly fast.
4.Ok so its not his fault, does it make it any less true? Is WSH position any different?
5.No, if anyone we envy PIT, their core consistently Produced largely with Drafted Players. They built a Core and ran with it having success as rookies and old men. WSH had a good year but TBH its not something you've replicated for a reason.

The Capitals currently have 8 players on their current roster that they've drafted. The Penguins have 5. The two core groups of the Caps and Pens are largely drafted players since the start of the Ovechkin/Crosby era. Obviously the Pens have more Cups in this window, but it's not like the Caps have been huge players in trades or free agency during this window.

It’ll go a lot better than making this move lol.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I do think we both have a team bias where we each feel more strongly for our own players and that plays into this.

Would you agree the next two years Couture and Barabanov will outplay Mantha and Kuznetsov? And But the extra 2 years for couture are a concern due to his age. and that Washington’s lack of deep prospect pool make giving up a 1st problematic?

Over the next two years, I think that Barabanov will certainly outplay Mantha and I think that it’s debatable between Kuznetsov and Couture. It doesn’t help that neither of those players is the model of consistency. Kuznetsov’s motivation is his most limiting factor. I want to believe he’ll turn back into a 75+ point center this season and blow everyone away, but honestly it’s a coin flip. Couture could easily hit a PPG pace this season and I wouldn’t be surprised, but the term on that contract makes it so incredibly unattractive especially when in this proposed trade it includes a future first from the caps that is very possibly going to be a top 10 pick.

Way to spark a conversation!

In all honesty, the Sharks probably aren't going to be able to move Couture's onerous contract. Which is fine by me. Couture is a good player, a strong , honest, leader, and appears to be a great person. He'll be a great role model for young players on the rebuilding Sharks. Shame about his cup dreams, though. Hopefully by the end of his contract he'll get to play in some games that matter for the Sharks.