from Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post,

In a summer when the Washington Capitals have shown little restraint in spending, the organization made its biggest deal yet Sunday evening by signing restricted free agent center Evgeny Kuznetsov to an eight-year, $62.4 million contract extension.

But because they were already facing salary cap constraints with more than $70 million of a $75 million salary cap committed to just 15 players, the Capitals were forced into a situation where they had to shed salary. That move came an hour after Kuznetsov’s new deal was announced when the team traded winger Marcus Johansson to the New Jersey Devils for second- and third-round picks in next season’s NHL draft.

With teams almost certainly aware of Washington’s bleak salary cap picture, the Capitals had little leverage in dealing a skilled 26-year-old top-six forward within the Metropolitan Division. Johansson is coming off a career year with 24 goals and 34 assists, but trading him for draft picks clears his $4.583 million salary cap hit and gives the team more wiggle room to re-sign restricted free agents Andre Burakovsky and Philipp Grubauer.

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