Rumour: Habs going after controversial Kuznetsov in trade post-Kotkaniemi deadline

The Montreal Canadiens have till 5ishpmET to match the Jesperi Kotkaniemi offer sheet and everyone is trying to predict what will happen and if the young centre will be a member of the Carolina Hurricanes this upcoming season. But more and more, it feels like there’s a real chance that the Canadiens will become the first team since 2007 to not match an offer sheet. Last time was when the Anaheim Ducks refused to match Dustin Penner’s 5 years, $21.5 million offer sheet tended by the Edmonton Oilers.

Fans and pundits are getting impatient and already predict the outcome - most folks believe the offer won’t be match. Earlier this week, Sportsnet insider for the Canadiens Eric Engels has mentioned that GM Marc Bergevin had already made up his mind to let Kotkaniemi walk. 

“Right now I think the most likely scenario is they’re going to let him walk, and replace him via trade,” Engels had said. 

There is also talk that the Canadiens could use the compensation from the Hurricanes to pry Christian Dvorak out of Arizona. 

However, a French-speaking pundit in Montreal David David Ettedgui, Bergevin reportedly has his eye on another trade target, one that would involve an Eastern Conference team. 

Sure, he could mean Jack Eichel from the Buffalo Sabres, who’s been linked to the Habs in the past, however, the blog Danslescoulisses believes it could be Evgeny Kuznetsov from the Washington Capitals… 

It's been known that the Caps are fed up with Kuznetsov’s antics and it sounds more and more like the Russian player could be traded this summer. On May 3rd, he was scratched by coach Peter Laviolette for disciplinary reasons. A day later, insider Pierre LeBrun reported that Capitals management was now so irritated by Kuznetsov that the team might be open to dealing the top-line center this offseason.

Would the Canadiens even go there? I mean, beside the behavioural issues, Kuznetsov isn’t the player he once was. Back in 2018, during the Caps’ Stanley Cup run, he was arguably the team’s best player for nearly two months, recording 32 points in 24 games. This season, Kuznetsov struggled, was placed on COVID-19 protocols twice, costing him 13 games and finished with no points and eight shots on goal in Games 3-5 in the postseason. 

It won't be easy to move Kuznetsov and so, maybe Bergevin is hoping to strike a deal there. He is owed $7.8 million for each of the next four seasons and also has a 15-team no-trade list, per Cap Friendly. 

But there is potential there, no doubt. And so... is this right? Is Bergevin gonna go after the Russian forward?