The Washington Capitals have had a strong start to their 2023-24 season and are hoping to ride that momentum into the playoffs after they missed the postseason last season. While they have had a surprisingly strong start to the new season, they have some small issues that will need to be dealt with if they want to become true contenders come the playoffs. One issue they’ve had this season is their defending and their lack of depth at the defense position. One player who stands out as a potential acquisition for the Capitals as he’s being underutilized with his current team is Nikolai Knyzhov.
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The Capitals are coming off a loss to the Vegas Golden Knights but have built up an impressive record of 12-7-2 and remain third in the Metropolitan Division at this point in the season. They have had some injury issues but have reacted accordingly up until this point, but they still have a small issue with their depth on the blue line. With Knyzhov being placed on waivers by the San Jose Sharks, this allows the Caps to capitalize on the team’s low asking price and give him a change of scenery. With that being said, here’s a brief breakdown of a potential target for the Caps.
Who Is Knyzhov & How Would He Help The Capitals?
Knyzhov is a 25-year-old left-shot defender from Kemerovo, Russia currently playing with the Sharks. He went undrafted and began his career in the Sharks organization during the 2019-20 season where he split the season between the San Jose Barracuda in the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Sharks. In his first season with them, he spent 33 games with the Barracuda scoring one goal and adding four assists for five points, and had no points in three games with the Sharks.
Knyzhov hasn’t been able to find a full-time spot in the NHL partially due to injuries, but this season hasn’t been his greatest. In 81 career games in the NHL, Knyzhov has scored three goals and added nine assists but this season alone, he has one assist through ten games. While his offensive game hasn’t been great, he has been solid defensively on a team that has been historically bad this season.
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With Jan Rutta making his return from injury, there is no room for Knyzhov according to the Sharks. He has been one of their strongest defenders overall so truly, this move makes absolutely no sense to…
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