The decision to cut Nicolas Aube-Kubel didn't have to do with his play for the Capitals — it had to do with others'.
With decisions having to be made and the opening night roster starting to take shape, the Washington Capitals made 11 cuts on Friday, and the most notable one was Nicolas Aube-Kubel.
Aube-Kubel was placed on waivers, along with Joe Snively, Michael Sgarbossa, Alex Limoges, Dylan McIlrath and Hunter Shepard, for the purpose of assignment to the AHL's Hershey Bears. They all cleared, and he will be playing minor league hockey for the first time since 2019-20.
It's a significant move for Washington, as he signed a one-year extension to remain in D.C. after being picked up off waivers just a season ago and has proven to be a solid fourth-line addition. He also had the preseason's first goal for D.C., and he showcased his speed over the course of camp. So why is the 27-year-old the odd man out?
The reality of the situation is that it's not about Aube-Kubel's play — it's about everyone else's.
The Capitals have had a number of players stand out at training camp, including Matthew Phillips, Beck Malenstyn, Aliaksei Protas and Connor McMichael. And when it comes to Aube-Kubel, Malenstyn and Protas, in particular, have fit in well in a fourth-line role, with both using their size, speed and skill to outplay the competition. It's led to some tough decisions, which ultimately made Aube-Kubel the odd man out there.
Then, looking at other spots in the lineup, Phillips has shown he can be a contributor and is working toward earning a full-time spot in the lineup rather than just. place on the roster, while Connor McMichael has all but established that he's ready to stay up in the NHL.
Beyond those young guys, there are also a number of other forwards looking to remain in the mix, including Anthony Mantha and Ivan Miroshnichenko. There's also the need to become cap compliant by the time the season opens, and waiving Aube-Kubel buries a majority of his $1.225 million cap hit.
At the end of the day, it was outsiders and fringe players that put Spencer Carbery and the coaching staff on notice, and that's what ultimately resulted in waivers for the 2022 Stanley Cup champion. The same can be said for Snively and others.