The Carolina Hurricanes made a big move on NHL trade deadline day by acquiring center Evgeny Kuznetsov from the Washington Capitals.
About 12 hours after acquiring Pittsburgh scoring winger Jake Guentzel in a blockbuster deal, the Hurricanes opened Friday by sending a 2025 third-round pick to Washington for Kuznetsov. Washington will keep half of his salary until next season, which hits the cap hit at $7.8 million, with $8 million due in 2024-25.
And it didn’t take long for the league’s other contenders to spring into action.
Two days after acquiring Vladimir Tarasenko from Ottawa, the league-leading Florida Panthers added depth and leadership by acquiring Buffalo’s Kyle Okposo. Buffalo acquired minor league defenseman Calle Chalin in a deal, giving the 35-year-old Sabers captain a chance to play in the playoffs in what will likely be his final NHL season.
After acquiring center Sean Monahan from Montreal during the All-Star break, the rapidly rising Jets acquired forward Tyler Toffoli in a trade with New Jersey, becoming Winnipeg’s newest addition. The Devils acquired a 2024 third-round pick, a 2025 second-round pick, and kept half of the pending free agent’s salary for the remainder of the season.
And the Rangers, who lead the Metropolitan Division, added depth to their blue line by acquiring Chad Ruhwedel from a Penguins team that suddenly went into rebuilding mode.
The focus will continue to be on the Hurricanes, who continued to add to their already talented roster, and on a team that came up short despite scoring a total of six goals in an overwhelming victory over Florida in the Eastern Conference Finals.
“Evgeni is a high-level playmaker who will add to our offense,” Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell said. “We are excited to give him a fresh start in Carolina as he brings even more playoff experience to our lineup.”
The 31-year-old Kuznetsov was granted an exemption last weekend, allowing him to practice under the care of the Player Assistance Program. He was then demoted to the minors, and Capitals GM Brian McClellan said he would try to trade the player who led Washington in scoring to win the Stanley Cup in 2018.
There are a number of players left, including the goalkeeper, who are in a position to receive punishment before the time limit expires. Calgary’s Jacob Markstrom and Boston’s Linus Ullmark are among the potential takeover targets.
The Capitals may not be done with Nick Dowd, Charlie Lindgren and Max Pacioretty, who are all considered to be on the market. Other trade candidates include Arizona’s Matt Dumba and Jason Tucker.
Seattle traded center Alexander Wennberg to the New York Rangers earlier this week, but didn’t have to do the same with winger Jordan Eberle. The Kraken agreed to a two-year contract with Eberle worth $9.5 million.
Meanwhile, the Capitals and Penguins traded with sellers at the trade deadline after nearly two decades of dominance since Alex Ovechkin arrived in Washington in 2004 and Sidney Crosby arrived in Pittsburgh a year later. We find ourselves in an unusual position. Since then, the two four-time Stanley Cup champions, both on the brink of missing the playoffs for the second straight season, have focused on the future.
Kuznetsov has had a tumultuous time in Washington since 2018, with trade rumors abounding and ultimately sending him to Carolina for another championship shot.
If Kuznetsov helps the Hurricanes win it all for the second time in franchise history, the Hurricanes will send a first-round and fifth-round pick in this year’s draft to Pittsburgh, and the 20-year-old has twice been held pending in free agency. That would seal the deal for a certain Guentzel. Goal scoring.
Kuznetsov was already in North Carolina before signing, practicing with the American Hockey League’s Hershey Bears in preparation for Friday night’s game in Charlotte. He could soon return to the US capital when the Hurricanes visit Washington on March 22nd.
