Capitals let Ivan Miroshnichenko explore a trade
TLDR: The Capitals have given Ivan Miroshnichenko permission to talk to other teams about a trade, according to Elliotte Friedman, after the 2022 first-round pick played just 3 games this season.
Friedman dropped it in Saturday Headlines on a night that also covered Connor Hellebuyck and Detroit. The Miroshnichenko item is the one Caps fans will be chewing on.
Saturday Headlines: Hellebuyck loose ends, status quo in Detroit & Capitals give Miroshnichenko permission to explore a trade t.co/6H6xohRiVE
There is a catch, though. Friedman said the Capitals have made it clear they have to get a "legit return." Washington isn't dumping him. It is also not going to stash him on waivers, because Miroshnichenko lost his waiver exemption when he signed his extension and nobody thinks he would clear. Somebody would grab a 20th overall pick for nothing. So it's a trade or nothing, and the Caps get to name the price.
The numbers tell you how he got here. Miroshnichenko has played 3 games this season, averaging about 11 minutes a night, and scored 1 goal against Montreal. He only got into the lineup because Pierre-Luc Dubois got sick earlier this month, and he was back in the press box as soon as Washington was healthy again. The Capitals are carrying 14 forwards, and he is the one who keeps getting scratched.
Caps beat reporter Sammi Silber passed the Friedman report along Saturday night, and the reaction from Washington was basically: here we go.
Some news here: Ivan Miroshnichenko could be on the move, as he Caps have granted permission to him to explore trade opportunities, per Friedman.
This didn't come out of nowhere. On October 15, Friedman reported that several NHL teams were keeping tabs on Miroshnichenko. Permission to talk to them is the next step. Washington drafted him 20th overall in 2022, and he has done everything you could ask of him in the AHL: 101 points in 141 games over 3 seasons with Hershey, plus 12 points in 20 playoff games during the Bears' 2024 Calder Cup run. In the NHL it hasn't clicked yet. He has 14 points (6 goals, 8 assists) in 55 career games with the Caps.
The contract is the part another GM will like. He signed a 2-year, $1.85 million extension last October, so his cap hit is $925,000 through 2027-28, and he'll still be a restricted free agent when it ends. That's a cheap, controllable winger with a first-round pedigree who just needs a team that will actually play him.
Next comes the haggling. No teams have been named yet, and Washington wants real value back, not a 7th-rounder. A young forward on a near-minimum deal who has already won in Hershey is a reasonable bet for a rebuilding team. Getting him out of the Caps' press box and onto a team that will play him looks like the best move for everyone. The only question is whether someone meets the price.
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