Kuznetsov is a boom-or-bust. His value at the start of the season is in the toilet. You give him few months to rebuild that value and give him all the opportunities to do that (especially down one veteran center in Backstrom) while reading the market and being ready to dump him the second someone wants him.
Lapierre performing well while being here is only an added bonus. Hershey has a brilliant team and a great environment, it's not the end of the world if he drops down from time to time to play on a top-line, PP role.
This debacle has a win-win-win or lose-lose-lose -scenario written all over it. Either Kuznetsov rebuilds his value and gets the trade that he wants. He wins. GMBM seems way over his actions so if that happens the Capitals win. Lapierre wins too there is now a hole #1 in TOI for forwards has left and there is ice-time for the taking.
Other scenario is that Kuznetsov continues to suck and nobody still wants him. He's stuck here. GMBM will lose his hair because he can't dump him anywhere. Lapierre is a loser there because one of the center is still occupied by Kuznetsov.
I don't mind this scenario, for the time being. There is still hope that someone might take a swing at it. Trash turns into gold often closer to the deadline. That being said it's leaning towards the way that their best (possibly only) option is going to be if there is an injury later on that leads to team using the LTIR until Playoffs loophole and wants to acquire Kuznetsov. It might be an enticing option for a team lacking assets that is all-in, because he wouldn't propably cost much to acquire. That being said it's going to be tough for a contender to eat that last year of his contract.
