The 30-year-old said he "fought to the end" this season, but just couldn't find his rhythm.

ARLINGTON, V.A. -- Evgeny Kuznetsov didn't talk much at the Washington Capitals' locker cleanout day, explaining that he needed more time to digest a disappointing 2022-23 campaign. General manager Brian MacLellan, on the other hand, had plenty to say -- and spoke bluntly.

MacLellan made it clear that he was far from impressed with Kuznetsov's season, which saw his play take a major hit following a memorable bounce-back campaign in 2021-22.

"I'm probably disappointed in it," MacLellan said. "I think it wasn’t as good as last year. I liked his season last year, played well. For whatever reason, he never quite found his game. I mean, there are stretches where I thought he played well, but overall, I think he underperformed the season he had last year.”

Through 81 games this season, Kuznetsov had 12 goals and 43 assists, along with a plus-minus rating of minus-26. His points-per-game pace was the lowest it's been since his rookie year in 2014-15, and his shooting percentage was at an all-time low at 7.

Kuznetsov wouldn't dive too far into recapping his season, but he did reveal that he was playing through injury. While that made things more difficult, there was still inconsistency in his game that led to one of the worst years of his career.

"Fought to the end, try to get healthy and all that stuff, but it just wasn't there," Kuznetsov said of his year. "I got to sit and think why it's all happening, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to come back stronger next year."

Kuznetsov also didn't have much of an answer when it came to his low shooting percentage and goal totals but did note that there weren't that many breakaway or high-danger opportunities. Ultimately, though, he said he needs to find a fix sooner rather than later.

"There is a lot of time to think about and refocus, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to find a solution," Kuznetsov said.

When it comes to the future, Kuznetsov wouldn't comment on the speculation or possibility of being traded. The 30-year-old did explain weeks ago that he was unsure of where the reports of him requesting a trade came from, though he did change agents, leading to more chatter regarding his next landing spot.

For MacLellan, the primary goal is to get younger and revamp the top-6. He said that he would explore all avenues and possibilities to achieve that, whether it be via trade or free agency.

Kuznetsov could very well be a trade chip or part of that change, with the front office far from impressed with his play. But for now, the team wants Kuznetsov to sit back and think about his season as a whole.

"I don't know," MacLellan said concerning what Kuznetsov needs to get back to form. "I think that's a question for him."