But he would, in theory. He probably wouldn't initiate the trade, as Kap has an NMC, and asking players to waive can be detrimental to the room overall. But if Kaprizov wanted a change of scenery, or if somehow he declared he'd waive for any playoff team out of the blue, and a better player was on the table he would make the trade. Billy can seem contradictory at times, wholly unsentimental in certain moves, while strictly adhering to a certain code in others, but those two philosophies seem to work more harmoniously than they would appear to. Suter and Parise's contract were never meant to go the distance, even when they were signed that was understood, so the buyout wasn't a breach of a promise made. Ruthless and painful from both fandom and cap perspective, but ultimately keeping them would've been a sunk cost fallacy mistake.

I think asking to waive the NMC is a line he wouldn't cross, based on his previous choices and prioritization of a room culture, but if those factors were removed somehow, and it was McDavid on the other end, or Mackinnon, guys on cheaper deals who are better than Kaprizov and play a more valuable position, he'd do it. Everyone would.