Stanley Cup Champion and 4-time 70+ point top-six forward lands on waivers

Per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the Capitals have opted to waive 31-year-old Evgeny Kuznetsov, a player who has been crucial to the success of the team for the last decade and who was instrumental in their Stanley Cup run back in 2018.

Kuznetsov still has 1 year remaining on his current contract, which carries a $7.8M cap hit. Per TSN's Chris Johnston, Kuznetsov's actual salary next season will be $8M, which includes a hefty signing bonus on July 1st of $2 million.

The Caps have had their problems with Kuznetsov in the past and the Russian center has been mentioned in trade talks numerous times dating back a few seasons. He was released from the Player Assistance Program just this morning. What a wild turn of events.

It's highly unlikely that Kuznetsov is claimed on Sunday, when waivers resolve at 2pm ET, given his lofty cap hit and penchant for violating team rules. Still, it's wild to see such a prominent player end up on waivers.