Evgeny Kuznetsov‘s absence bought the Washington Capitals extra time to trim their roster to get under the salary cap ceiling.
They entered training camp over the cap but with Kuznetsov getting suspended three games by the NHL, his cap hit of $7.8-million didn’t count against the Capitals when they submitted rosters for opening night.
It allowed the Capitals to go with Chandler Stephenson and Travis Boyd in the lineup, two fourth liners that had been in the hot seat since the start of free agency. It moved Lars Eller to the second line.