4 takeaways from Caps GM's presser: Kuznetsov had KHL leverage

Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan has been one of the busier GMs this offseason, and for good reason. His Capitals are up against the salary cap, and their roster has more holes in it than any Cup contender should.

Related: Washington still in tight salary situation after Johansson deal

As of Monday, MacLellan had just over $8 million remaining in available cap space for next season, while still needing at least another six players (three forwards, two defenseman, and a backup goalie) to fill out his roster.

Related: Capitals sign Devante Smith-Pelly

So, when he took the stage to address some of those looming issues, all eyes and ears were on the Washington executive.

Here are four takeaways from MacLellan's press conference:

No Cup, but still hung over

After a team wins a Stanley Cup, you usually hear about it suffering from a "Cup hangover" - a clouded, thumping head full of confidence from the season prior.

According to MacLellan, the Caps are suffering from a similar hangover - minus the hardware, of course.

Going all in with his roster is commendable, but when you're left with the lineup Washington has, questions about MacLellan's future are bound to be raised. And soon.

Kuznetsov had KHL leverage

On Sunday, Washington made waves my inking Evgeny Kuznetsov to a lucrative eight-year, $62.4-million contract, and sending winger Marcus Johansson to the New Jersey Devils.

On the surface, the moves don't seem like anything to write home about, but both decisions were apparently heavily influenced by the possibility of Kuznetsov bolting to Russia and the KHL.

It will be interesting to see if fellow Russians use the same kind of leverage in negotiations going forward.

Oshie, Kuznetsov signings mean cheap bottom-six options

Here's a classic case of "you can't have your cake and eat it too."

Locking down T.J. Oshie and Kuznetsov to long-term deals may seem kosher, but really it sets the team behind the eight ball in terms of cap management.

MacLellan was candid about that fact, admitting that the club will have to scrape the bottom of the bargain barrel for some cheap, bottom-six talent to fill out the roster.

It appears there will be a lot more Devante Smith-Pelly-type players joining the Capitals in the near future.

Orpik won't be bought out, will serve as mentor to younger players

One of the changes expected from Washington's front office this summer was the team moving on from veteran blue-liner Brooks Orpik, with a buyout being one of the options. After all, he'll be 37 years old at the start of next season.

According to MacLellan, however, the Capitals still value what Orpik brings to the table, and he'll be spending the foreseeable future on their back end.

MacLellan and Co.'s next few weeks should be very interesting.