Yea no thanks. You are highly overvaluing Ovechkin. Smart GMs pay for future production, not past production. Ovechkins best days are behind him.

Way tooooooooooo much no thanks

Way undervaluing. Caps pass. Ovechkin scored 33 goals last year. The league lead was 40. He's still got it.

The trick to making a trade work in hockey is finding players that would be worth more in a new situation. Ovechkin has already built DC into a serious hockey city. He has given fans a perennial contender. He can keep selling out the phonebooth for another decade, and probably keep scoring thirty goals a year for that long. But for Pittsburgh, he represents Malkin's ideal linemate. The two of them set records in the KHL, before they were drafted and came to North America. They would put Crosby on the second line, and help Pittsburgh stave off the tide of time, letting them eke out another win or two before Edmonton becomes unstoppable. But that's if they add him for picks, prospects, and maybe a player or two they're sick of, and keep together whatever they consider the nucleus of their last two Cup wins. On the other hand, if the Caps trade Ovechkin away, they're rebuilding. They don't need three roster players from a recent champion. They need hope for the future. I think the simplest realistic option would be about five first round draft picks, none of which Pittsburgh would ever miss. If Pittsburgh wants Washington to take back Kessel's salary, that's probably fine. They can flip him for a 2nd, or so.