Edit: Won't embed for some reason, but Kempny recently said Kuznetsov was on Cocaine the entire 2018 playoffs.
He wasn’t the only one either. The Caps will do everything possible to get him out of their system without buying him out, so a lot of things don’t go public.
If they buy him out, just like what would’ve happened in Detroit with Vrana last year, the NHLPA would’ve/will file a grievance. Nobody will care about the specifics. Addiction advocate groups will get involved, etc, etc. They will claim he’s being punished for seeking help. Just look at the accusations against Detroit last year for keeping Vrana in the AHL. Those same accusations are coming, if Kuznetsov goes to Hershey and lights it up.
Detroit was lucky enough to get rid of Vrana without airing the dirty laundry. The Caps will try the same thing. Even if it makes more sense on paper to buy him out, they’ll try avoiding it, because it will get messy. They’d actually probably lose the grievance as well. They’d have to prove it wasn’t a “Punishment” and that won’t be easy. Especially if he lights up the AHL. They’d have to air some things nobody wants, to win the grievance.
The NHL doesn’t want the dirty laundry going public either. There’s been all kinds of things said about what was going on with that team for ages. Vrana and Kuznetsov have done nothing to change anyone’s mind.
I’d look for a double retention trade, where the Caps pay a couple of mid round picks, to wipe their hands clean. They’ll eat half of his salary next year, but he’ll be someone else’s issue. It probably won’t be Detroit or St Louis…. They’ll find someone to take him at $2 million for next year though. They’ll also find someone to retain $2 million.
That’s the likely outcome. Maybe it costs them a 4th but they get a 7th. Or maybe it costs them a 4th and a 6th.
It’s well worth getting him out of the organization.
He’s also probably worth a $2 million chance for some teams. Worse case, they bury him, and they’re taking a million dollar hit. At that point we’d likely see a KHL loan, so he’s not on someone’s farm team. IF it got to that. Not much of a gamble.
