Connor McMichael

With Evgeny Kuznetsov set to miss the first few games of the season due to suspension, there were some who believed that the Washington Capitals could keep first-round pick Connor McMichael on the roster to begin the year. They’ll have to find another center somewhere else instead, as the team has sent McMichael back to the London Knights of the OHL along with several other cuts.

[Related: Training Camp Cuts: 09/19/19]

The 25th pick of June’s draft, McMichael has blazing speed and high-end hockey sense that seemed to develop quickly last season. A depth player for the Hamilton Bulldogs and Knights in 2017-18, he scored just 16 points in 70 games. Last year however saw more responsibility coincide with an offensive explosion, leading the Knights with 72 points in 67 games. The true center will spend this year in the OHL once again and should compete for a spot on the World Junior squad.

Washington meanwhile will have to figure out a different answer down the middle to start the year. Lars Eller is expected to move into the second-line spot in Kuznetsov’s absence, but behind him it’s not clear how things will shake out at this point. His $7.8MM cap hit will fortunately not count during the suspension however, meaning the team doesn’t necessarily need to make a trade right away to clear room as expected.