State Of The Capitals: What Will Capitals Do With Kuznetsov & What's The Next Best Move For MacLellan?

The Washington Capitals are in the midst of an extended offseason that, even after checking off numerous boxes on their to-do list, still poses quite a few questions, with the biggest involving Evgeny Kuznetsov.

Kuznetsov's future remains in question as Capitals.com writer Mike Vogel confirmed that the Russian did, in fact, request a trade from D.C. Meanwhile, other reports indicated that Washington has made it clear that it is ready to move on from No. 92.

Still, despite an aggressive push to make a trade at the draft, general manager Brian MacLellan couldn't get a deal done in Nashville.

"Our strategy going into the draft time period was to make a trade, to identify the age group we're kind of targeting and try and make a trade and bring in a top-6 forward, trade one or two guys," MacLellan said. "We were open to possibilities. Pursued a number of things, but that, unfortunately, didn't come through for us."

Now with free agency rolling on, MacLellan plans to continue monitoring the trade market. His ideal target is a top-6 caliber forward between the ages of 25 and 30, and he also hinted that he has deals on the table.

"I feel we have some pretty good offers out there, and the guys [we're pursuing] haven't moved yet," MacLellan told Vogel, adding, "I don't know if they move them now or when they move them... I'm not sure what happens. Some guys need to be signed. So we'll stay involved in all of that stuff."

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But, considering the situation and the start of training camp being just over two months away, would a big midsummer trade be the next-best move for MacLellan?

There's a lot to keep in mind. Spencer Carbery is taking over the helm, and Kuznetsov, despite his struggles, is still a talented player who is among the NHL's elite when he's on his game and putting in maximum effort. He reportedly lost his joy for the game over the last few years in D.C., according to agent and longtime friend Sergei Fedotov. Perhaps seeing what Carbery can do to help him rekindle that joy and seeing if Kuznetsov lives up to his breakdown day promise that he would bounce back is the next best thing.

Also, considering Nicklas Backstrom's future still remains up in the air -- though he will be at training camp and given the chance to see what a full summer of training does for him -- holding onto a familiar top-6 center in Kuznetsov, for now, may be the smartest play.

It also may be worth it for MacLellan to see how Kuznetsov starts the season, and if it's a strong start, the team could either see if he wants to stick around or if it increases his trade value, meaning that there could be a better return. His trade value arguably isn't the highest right now; though he had 55 points last season, his point-per-game pace was the lowest it's been in nearly a decade, he struggled defensively and his shooting percentage took a nosedive.

This can also be the case for Anthony Mantha, who has one year left on his contract and has struggled to find his footing in D.C. Per reports, he hasn't been getting much attention on the market following a 23-point season that took a toll on his confidence and featured a number of missed opportunities, reduced ice time and a handful of healthy scratches.

In the end, there's plenty for MacLellan to consider, and the ball is in his court. And while making a splash to revamp the top-6 is a good response to a lost season, the timing and price need to be right.