Evgeny Kuznetsov Could Get Fresh Start With Maple Leafs

Kuznetsov was cleared to resume practicing by the league’s program on Saturday, but the 31-year-old was swiftly put on waivers with a clear idea that he wouldn’t be back with the Capitals anytime soon.

Evgeny Kuznetsov Will Get A Fresh Start Somewhere

A four-time 20-goal scorer in the NHL, Kuznetsov still has some good years of hockey ahead of him. He’s coming off a season in 2022-23 where he scored 12 goals and 55 points in 81 games, but he’s hit some bumps in the road this season.

His struggles have been well-documented. His road to recovery has simply been a headline that has surfaced as a reason for his demotion to the AHL. Whatever the reason, it’s clear that Kuznetsov needs a fresh start in a new place — something that the Capitals general manager noted after the news broke.

“It’s about a fresh start for Kuzy,” said the Capitals’ GM Brian MacLellan. “He’s been looking for a change in an environment, and I think this might set the wheels in motion for that to be accomplished.”

Early in 2023, there was some speculation that Kuznetsov had requested a trade. He quickly shot down those rumours, but there still seemed to be question marks regarding his future with the team.

Now, in the seventh year of his eight-year deal, it’s almost perfect timing for him to get the fresh start he needs. It’s a chance to reset prior to his contract ending — and a chance to play for another contract following the 2024-25 season.

Kuznetsov, Maple Leafs Could Make Sense

As for how this ties in with the Toronto Maple Leafs, there has been some speculation that the Maple Leafs are still looking at acquiring some depth scoring for the right price. With all that’s happened with Kuznetsov and the fact that it’s known he’s likely on the move, the Maple Leafs could use that to their advantage in acquiring the forward at a cheaper rate.

Acquiring him would give the Maple Leafs some more depth at the centre position and allow them to really tinker with their top-nine forwards evening out some scoring throughout their lineup — something the team has struggled with during the 2023-24 season and throughout past playoff runs.

While there hasn’t been any actual ties between the Maple Leafs and the Capitals in regards to Kuznetsov, the idea of the Maple Leafs kicking the tires on the Russian forward isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

After all, the Maple Leafs don’t have a lot of room within their cap to work with and will likely have to find a cheaper option to fill that depth void as the March 8 trade deadline quickly approaches.

Brad Treliving has been known to work the phones in his tenure as an NHL general manager, and while this might not be his first option, a busy trade deadline around the NHL could force his hand in looking at what his Plan B or Plan C is in acquiring depth scoring. In this case, it may point him right towards Kuznetsov and the Capitals.

Maple Leafs Have to Get Creative for Kuznetsov

Now, this is all great, but the Maple Leafs are — as we mentioned — in tight with the salary cap. Players on long-term injury reserve have given them some space to work with, but others have returned and complicated their current position, like Joseph Woll and Cälle Jarnkrok.

That being said, the Maple Leafs could still acquire Kuznetsov, but would have to get creative in doing so. Like their recent move to re-acquire Ilya Lyubushkin, they would have to look for salary retention around the league — be it with the Capitals or a third-party team. That, however, will cost the Maple Leafs in draft capital. And that is something they don’t have a ton of.

As it stands, the Maple Leafs have a pick in every round in 2024 except for the second and sixth and hold three in the fifth round. But in 2025, they don’t have a single selection until the fifth round — and it’s tough to justify moving a first-round pick in 2024 to have salary retained on a player that will be a reclamation project to some extent.

Now, I’m no Brandon Pridham and won’t pretend to know how to manipulate the cap in favour of landing Kuznetsov, but considering what some of the players on the trade bait list could potentially go for, the Maple Leafs might have to look for unconventional ways of acquiring their needs this time around — and Kuznetsov could be one of those leftover pieces that fits an organizational need heading into the playoffs.