It's like Deja Vu...

It's pretty quiet in Washington as the Capitals are slowly coming off their free agent hangover and getting ready for training camp in a few weeks.

The idea that the Caps are not done toying with their lineup has been the talk of the rumor world as of late, with defenseman Mike Green at the head of trade talks involving the Detroit Red Wings. While I still don't think Green will be traded (yet), I can't help but wonder how bad Detroit wants him, and how much they would be willing to give up.

Head Coach Barry Trotz is a fan of a certain center in Detroit, one that made quite an impression last season while superstars Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk were on the mend.

Gustav Nyquist is the future of the Detroit Red Wings organization, much like Zetterberg and Datsyuk were when Yzerman and Lidstrom were running things. Nyquist showed amazing offensive upside while maintaining a solid two-way game and led the Red Wings with 28 goals in only 57 games, while finishing second in points with 48.

He's an RFA at the end of the season, and will no doubt be getting a nice payday. Still, the Caps are without a true second-line center, and need help up the middle if they want to compete.

So... IF the Caps are serious about shipping Green to Detroit, Nyquist has to be the only real option to come back. There are other players on the Red Wings that would be a nice, even swap for Green, but Nyquist fills a need for the Caps down the middle, and Washington has to be salivating at the thought of making this work.

However, Green for Nyquist just doesn't make a lot of sense if your a Red Wings fan, and the Capitals would have to give a little more to obtain Nyquist's services.

This is where things get interesting, because they make sense.

If the Caps were to throw in either Troy Brouwer or Marcus Johansson, the Red Wings might just bite. Brouwer has two years left on his contract - a $3.66M cap hit - and MoJo (I hate that nickname) has one year left at $2M, in which he will become an RFA. Detroit could easily fit this into their salary cap and they would add some nice depth to their lineup.

Johansson hasn't been terrible here in DC, but he hasn't shown the promise that Caps fans had hoped for. However, he's still a very good player and with the right atmosphere (something a little more balanced than DC), Johansson could become an even better two-way player. He won't score 30 goals, but he can create chances and play both ends. I think he's become stale here in Washington, and could use a change of scenery.

Brouwer is a fan favorite here, and no one wants him to be traded, but he makes sense because his value is high and the Caps need help down the middle. Brouwer in Detroit would be a great match, especially with Bertuzzi gone. He's a powerful player with a great shot.

Throw in some draft picks and this could work. Again, it all depends on how bad Detroit wants Green because the Caps aren't going to just give him away for another prospect who doesn't fill a need on their roster. It's fun to speculate though, and this is something to keep an eye on.

More to come...

Follow me on Twitter: @_Mellin_

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