Washington Capitals: Trade Bait

This may well be my favorite time in the NHL season calendar- the countdown to the trade deadline, set for Feb. 27th. In the next few weeks speculation and rumors will surpass talk of the rapidly approaching Playoffs on the blog-front. The future of NHL teams across the league will begin to unfold in both the short and long-term aspirations of all 30 teams. Strategies are debated behind the closed doors of management while the media and general public voice their opinions across the airways and “wire-ways”. The NHL world is all “a-tweet” with the endless possibilities in which teams will try to find that one player (or two, or three) that will take them to the Stanley Cup. Others will make it clear that only a rebuild will get them back on the path to that (sometimes ever-) elusive, gigantic silver beer chalice, baby bowl, or some other equally ridiculous “holder”.

There are some big names flying about these days. Some like Bobby Ryan, Ryan Suter, and Jeff Carter seem to have been in the air for weeks now. Others have appeared from nowhere, such as Tim Thomas and Brendan Morrow. Still more are being added to the highly speculative list of “available” players by the hour. From the ridiculous (like Thomas) to the all-but-inked (like Tuomo Ruutu) deals, there is plenty to gossip about.

Now in what I would call my “entry-level” opinion the Washington Capitals seem to be the Rubix-Cube of all teams in terms of deadline trading. The team has been so close to being solved but the frustration level is getting to the point where you start to debate tearing off and moving some of the stickers so it’s done. There are others- fans, critics, and the weak-of-heart out there that are just about to throw it out the window so they don’t have to look at it again, ever (or at least for a few years until they can come back to it with refreshed eyes).

So what exactly are the Caps really looking for right now? With injuries still dragging the team down are we looking for long-term additions, or another handful of disposables like those grabbed last year at the deadline, with the hope that maybe this year really will be the year (can we beat the odds)? Who are they willing to part with now? Who do they plan to re-sign for next year and who do they believe will make the cut into the NHL from within their own ranks next season?

One thing that the Caps definitely DO need is a swift kick in the booty. That should have come with the firing of Boudreau and subsequent hiring of tough-man Dale Hunter into the coaches skates, per say. Clearly that hasn’t packed the punch that we all envisioned. Could a big shake-up to the current “Cap-core”, like a trade with Semin, leave a bright red imprint on their rear-end padding?

Semin is not the only Capital trending on the trade rumor train. Jeff Schultz seems to be the most obvious pick having been all but eliminated from the Caps roster since Hunter arrived in late Nov. Mike Knuble and Roman Hamrlik are the two experienced vets that could be on the table. Prospects Mattias Sjogren (now playing in Sweden), Braden Holtby (who proved himself to be an NHL caliber goalie last season), and the highly anticipated forward Evgeny Kuznetsov, are all viable bait for negotiations. John Carlson also has good market value as a very promising defenseman within the league and will be a RFA this year. Other upcoming RFA’s include forwards Mattieu Perreault, Jay Beagle, and our favorite injury-prone but highly talented offensive D-man Mike Green. UFA’s this summer include the aforementioned Semin and Knuble, as well as Jeff Halpern up front; Dennis Wideman on defense,and goalie Tomas Vokoun.

Clearly, the Washington Capitals ownership and management have some big decisions that they’ve likely been discussing for months now. I personally think they would be crazy to trade away either Holtby or Kuznetsov now that they are both within inches of the NHL. In all likelihood, Perreault and Beagle will be given new short-term contacts for very reasonable pay.

I’m a little leery of letting Semin go considering his immense talent, but a fresh start could be just what he needs to get back to the elite level of scoring that he is capable of. However, with Semin you always need to keep in mind that he may prefer to go back to Russia to play in the KHL.

I hate to say it but Green is a crap-shoot. His value to the team, when healthy, is undeniable, but after his latest hernia surgery will he finally be injury-free for the next few years, or is he cursed? Considering his hefty salary now, are the Caps willing to take on the pricey bet? I’d also like to see Wideman re-signed but having an All-Star worthy season may draw in other teams who would be willing to pay top price for him. Carlson may well be in a similar position possibly drawing in some very lucrative bids.

Lastly, guarding any breath-taking play or a Stanley Cup, you can count Vokoun out.

So where does leave our beloved but forlorn Capitals? Look for me later to see some of the contenders I believe could be well received in the Washington locker room.


People also view

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *