3 Teams That Should Claim Capitals' Evgeni Kuznetsov Off Waivers

The Washington Capitals have placed long-time center Evgeni Kuznetsov on waivers today and teams have until 2pm EST on March 3 to claim him. It's not often you see a player like this hit waivers, especially not at this point in the season on a team chasing a playoff spot. As the Capitals appear to be done with him, there are three teams that could benefit from picking him up.

San Jose Sharks

The San Jose Sharks appear to be listening to calls on everybody that isn't a top prospect. That means the team could realistically change quite a bit by the time the trade deadline ends. While the team has more than enough cap space right now to add Kuznetsov and also have a need with Tomas Hertl and Logan Couture out, the Sharks will have even more cap space after moving who they're going to move in the coming days. With one year left, they could use a veteran player who does provide scoring to fill in down the middle in the top-9.

Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks have been very shorthanded for most of the season and they are going to get a lottery pick. Adding Kuznetsov won't change that, but it will add a bit of healthy reinforcements the team needs for the rest of the season. Since the Blackhawks aren't nearly there yet for next season, a bit of help down the middle for Connor Bedard couldn't hurt either.

Arizona Coyotes

The Arizona Coyotes will likely sell a couple of pieces to contenders at the trade deadline, which means some spots will open up in their forward group for the remainder of the season. The team tried to be competitive this season, but it fell apart after a while. I assume they are going to want to break through next season, and a veteran centerman who ranked 58th in points in 2022 and 2023 combined could help them come closer. It is not a long commitment and the Coyotes have a lot of cap space to still work with.