It's been pretty quiet of late in DC regarding trade rumors. It's always been tough to gauge what the Capitals will do come the Trade Deadline (March 2nd). Former GM George McPhee kept his cards very close to his chest going into this time of year, and it shouldn't be any different with his protege' GM Brian MacLellan.
What we do know is that Washington is in need of some more solid depth players going into the playoffs. We know that they need a RW for the Backstrom-Ovechkin line. We know they need a second line center. We also know that they could use a better backup for Braden Holtby.
Depth wise, the Caps need better middle men. The third line of Ward, Fehr and Laich has been fantastic, but they need to stay on the third rotation. The fourth line has had more tweaks than Ovechkin and Backstroms' RW problem.
A few ideas to discuss:
Depth Centers:
Tyler Kennedy - San Jose Sharks: C - 27 - $2.35M UFA Kennedy is a solid two-way guy who could add some grit to the second line. He's not the ideal scoring centerman you'd want, but he's great in his own zone and can get the puck going on the transition. He's more prone to playing third or fourth line center, but he is the kind of depth that the Caps could be looking at.
Matt Hendricks - Edmonton Oilers: C - 33 -$1.8M thru 16-17 One of the worst decisions GMGM made before he left Washington was not re-signing Hendricks. We lost him to Nashville until he ended up in Edmonton and he has proven to be a hot commodity going into the deadline. He would a great addition to the fourth line with Tom Wilson, Jay Beagle and Michael Latta. They can learn a lot from this heart and soul type player. And he's cheap.
Scott Gomez - New Jersey Devils: C - 34 - $.390K UFA Gomez has had a rough go of it since leaving NJ for the Rangers and then to Montreal and FLA and wherever else he was. Upon coming back to NJ, he found a little bit of his game again, and he look comfortable for the first time in years. Chances are he could be traded and it would take much to get him. He's a kind of crap shoot for the second line, but he's won Cups and has the experience. He could be the kind of guy that Trotz likes, especially on the second PP unit.
Daniel Winnik - Toronto Maple Leafs: C - 29 - $1.8M UFA The Leafs are in the midst of a fire sale, and chances are Winnik is close to being traded. Pittsburgh is very interested, and the Caps could be too. He's a good two-way guy, but is fit for a third line role. He hasn't had much luck in the playoffs, but he's a defensive guy who throws his body around. He could be a good match for the fourth line with Wilson and Beagle.
Right Wingers for first line: Michael Ryder - New Jersey Devils: RW - 34 - $3.5M UFA I touched on Ryder last week, and I still think he's an interesting catch for the Capitals. He wouldn't cost much and he needs a change of scenery. He's been scratched in NJ for the last few games, and he's bound to be traded soon. He won't cost much either, and the Caps have plenty they could offer up for him. Whether it be a 2nd or 3rd round pick or Jason Chimera.
Jaromir Jagr - New Jersey Devils: RW - 42 - $5.5M UFA I've been hearing around these parts that Jagr would be a good fit with Ovechkin and Backstrom, however, I have to disagree. I'm putting Jagr's name up because you never know who the Caps are kicking tires on. We know that Jagr wants to stay in the East and Montreal and Pittsburgh would be the first to come knocking, but that doesn't rule out Washington. Even though Jagr's time here was lackluster and his departure wasn't that great, you never know what can happen. I can't see him coming here, and I'm not sure how he would gel with that top line. It would certainly make the power play that much better though.
Chris Stewart - Buffalo Sabres: RW - 26 - $4.15M UFA Stewart is kind of of a cross between a poor mans Wayne Simmonds and Evander Kane. The kid has the ability to score 20-30 goals if he's in the right mind-set and he can be rough it up when he needs to. The Sabres seem content on listening to offers and the Bruins are keen on Stewart. The Caps have to be inquiring and I can't imagine what the Sabres want for Stewart who has been very inconsistent and lackluster recently. However, that kind of play could mesh well with Ovechkin and Backstrom, if, that is, he decides he wants to play.
Cam Atkinson - Columbus Blue Jackets: RW - 25 - $1.15M RFA His name is in the rumor headlines, but I'm not sold on Columbus letting him go. He's an RFA at season's end however, and could make for a nice rental. Would he be a guy that could play with Ovechkin and Backstrom? Or someone to delegate to the second line to play with whoever is center that night? He's a good player though, and has had a nice season in Columbus.
Defense: Not sure about the rumors about the Caps wanting more defensive depth, especially since it looks like they want to keep Mike Green for the playoff run, but here goes:
Andrej Sekera - Carolina Hurricanes: D -28 - $2.75M - UFA Sekera is a hot item right now, now that Myers and Franson are off the trade market. He's a great offensive defenseman stuck on an inconsistent team. His cap hit is rather low and he'll be in for a nice pay day this summer, but he's a great rental to have. But why would the Capitals be interested in Sekera? We have a pretty solid top-6 pairing with Green's partners swapping out every now and then. Unless Green is indeed on the market still, I can't see Sekera being on their radar - but it is a rumor I've heard.
Goalies:
Philipp Grubauer - Hershey Bears: G - 22 - $.600M - RFA As for goaltenders, the only option I see is waiving Peters and bringing up Philipp Grubauer. I wasn't sure if I liked the idea at first, but he was something else in his only appearance this season. Peters has his moments and he played well against the Ducks, but the team seems to scramble too much in front of him. He's rebound control isn't great and if the Caps want to give Holtby some more rest before the playoffs, I'd love to see Grubauer take the net.
Who else do you think is a good option for the Caps?
More to come...