Capitals give former first-round pick permission to seek trade, but there's a catch
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Ivan Miroshnichenko has permission to talk to other teams, and the Capitals want a legitimate return for the 2022 first-round pick.
Ivan Miroshnichenko may be running out of road in Washington.
The Capitals have given the 22-year-old winger permission to talk to other teams, and Elliotte Friedman laid it all out on Saturday Headlines.
The problem is pretty simple. He just can't get into the lineup.
Washington is deep up front, and the 20th overall pick from 2022 has suited up for only three games this season.
He made one of them count, scoring in a 5-4 win over the Canadiens.
What the Capitals want back
Friedman said the club needs to get a legitimate return.
Sending him to the AHL isn't a real option either, since he's no longer waiver exempt and Washington knows he wouldn't clear.
So the plan is a trade, but only if the price is right.
Re Ivan Miroshnichenko/Capitals: "He just can't get in the lineup; he's been given permission to talk to other teams; what the Capitals have said here is they have to get a legit return."
- Elliotte Friedman
- Elliotte Friedman
How much is he worth?
Friedman added more on his Monday 32 Thoughts Podcast.
He said the value could look similar to the Egor Chinakhov deal between Columbus and Pittsburgh, which brought back Danton Heinen along with a second and a third round pick.
He also said there's quite a bit of interest around the league, which follows his earlier report that several clubs were already watching him.
The contract won't scare anyone off.
Miroshnichenko signed a two-year, $1.85 million extension last October, which comes out to $925,000 a year.
That's a cheap way for a team to take a swing on a young forward with first-round pedigree.
There's one more wrinkle. If another injury hits the Capitals' lineup, he could still slot in and play.
For now, Chris Patrick and the front office are holding the cards, and any team with a hole on the wing should be picking up the phone.
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