"Carolina has to pay $3.9 million of
Evgeny Kuznetsov's contract for this season, while Jesperi Kotkaniemi counts $4.8 million against the cap for six more seasons.
Kuznetsov is a key piece that could allow Columbus to make significant cap savings over the next two seasons.
Kotkaniemi is a good two-way player, but his offensive game hasn't really fully developed. Does Carolina really want that contract to be valid for another six years? Maybe not. He could also be an interesting addition to a Columbus team that really needs a two-way presence in its lineup. Both teams would get the type of player they could really use." - Adam Gretz