Kaprizov Turns Down $128M Deal, Opening Door for Capitals
The Washington Capitals find themselves in an interesting spot as they look ahead to next offseason, with Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson's contracts expiring and their futures in flux. All the while, some top names are set to hit the market, including Minnesota WIld Kirill Karpizov.
The Kaprizov situation has gotten interesting over the last 48 hours, as he reportedly turned down an eight-year, $128 million contract that would have made him the highest-paid player in NHL history.
Then, on Thursday, another report came out that the Wild officially requested Kaprizov's trade list, though The Athletic's Michael Russo and EliteProspect's Cam Robinson have officially shut down that report.
Looking at Kaprizov, he would be an interesting player for the Capitals to keep an eye on, especially with the Ovechkin era ending. The 28-year-old has 386 points in 319 games over five years in the NHL, including one 108-point season and three 70-plus point campaigns. He had 56 points in 41 games last year while dealing with injuries and having to undergo surgery.
If he doesn't want to re-sign with the Wild and wants to explore the market, Washington could be a desirable landing spot, with the team having a plethora of rising prospects and a strong future core led by Tom Wilson, Dylan Strome, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Logan Thompson and more.
With Ovechkin and Carlson coming off the books in the coming years, too, the team would also have the money to offer Kaprizov a competitive salary.
Ultimately, nothing's guaranteed, but right now, there appears to be no plans on the trade front. So for now, it's just something for the Capitals to keep an eye on.
Scenes From Capitals Informal Skates Ahead Of Training Camp
As the Washington Capitals look ahead to training camp, they continue to get work in at MedStar Capitals Iceplex with informal skates.
Matt Roy and Logan Thompson were on the ice earlier in the summer as they stuck around the D.C. area, but over time, more and more players have joined the mix. Pierre-Luc Dubois and John Carlson have also been present for the last few weeks while helping lead the skates.
Alex Ovechkin joined earlier in the week, and Tom Wilson, Dylan Strome, Anthony Beauvillier, Ryan Leonard, Brandon Duhaime, Nic Dowd, Hendrix Lapierre and more have also made their returns to the District.
The Capitals officially open camp next Thursday.
Here are some of our favorite shots from the skates so far.
Matt LaFleur Confirms The Worst For Receiver After In-Game Injury
The Green Bay Packers had another strong victory in Week 2, as they took down the Washington Commanders in a 27-18 win at Lambeau Field.
Amid what were good displays on both sides of the ball, came what looked like a nasty injury to wide receiver, Jayden Reed, who clutched his shoulder in pain after landing on it as he hauled in a touchdown from Jordan Love; a touchdown that was ultimately called back for a holding penalty on rookie, Anthony Belton.
Reed’s right arm was seen in a sling, per reports, as he did not return to the game.
And it seems as if injury that the Packers and fans were hoping it would not be has, sadly, come to pass, as head coach, Matt LaFleur, revealed on Thursday night after the game that Reed had broken his collarbone.
“He’s gonna miss a lot of time, unfortunately,” La Fleur said when asked about an update for Reed, “He broke his collarbone, so he’ll be down for quite some time. We’ll see how fast he can recover and heal. Certainly I would expect him back at some point this season.”
Ian Rapoport reports that the exact figure could, on the optimistic end, look like a 6-8 eight week layoff, allowing Reed to come back for second half of the regular season.
How Will This Impact The Packers’ Offense Moving Forward?
In his presser, LaFleur emphasized how Reed would be missed on the field and in the huddle.
“Obviously it’s a big blow to us,” LaFleur continued, “He’s a guy who’s a catalyst for our offense, and our football team quite frankly. The energy he brings; he’s a dawg. He comes out there and he’s gonna compete, and he plays tough, physical. And he’s a playmaker.”
Despite this, the Packers’ seventh year head coach remains content with the Packers’ offensive options, even with Reed having gone down.
“Fortunately for us, I feel like we have a pretty deep wide receiver room and there’s gonna be opportunities there for other guys to step up and take advantage of.”
Who Will Be The Main Candidates To Take Reed’s Place?
As alluded to by LaFleur, the receiving corps is strong enough in Green Bay to weather the storm of an injury like this.
Dontayvion Wicks is the obvious candidate to come into the starting lineup, after catching 4 passes for 44 yards – more than any other wide receiver on Thursday.
Rookie third round pick, Savion Williams, could also be a candidate to get more offensive snaps alongside 2025 first round pick, Matthew Golden, and fourth year wideout, Romeo Doubs, having shown his explosiveness with two strong rushing plays on the ground.
But the candidate the team will be most excited for is the return of Christian Watson, who could be back with the team and ready for action as early as October, although he will not be available for the Packers in the immediate future.
For now, GB can remain happy with their performance tonight, and they can figure out who the next man up will be on offense over the coming days.
