Washington Capitals: Free Agency Targets
Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The Washington Capitals will need to fill the roles of third line center, potentially top six forward, and seventh defenseman in free agency and trades. We have no idea who the Caps will pursue in the seventh defenseman role, but as long as Nate Schimdt and Dmitry Orlov remain on the third pairing, I don’t have an issue with who they sign.
Third Line Center Options
Probably the best option available other than Eric Fehr is Brad Richards. I wrote more about the obvious fit here, but the Washington Capitals should pursue him regardless of whether or not they re-sign Fehr. Signing Richards would give them lots of flexibility and options, not to mention depth.
Other potential options include:
- Matt Cullen of the Nashville Predators would be a decent option. Cullen is coming off a 25 point season playing 13 minutes per game. He had a $3,500,000 average annual value. I would expect him to take a discount to play for a contender. He’s familiar with Trotz, so that might help his chances of signing with the Caps. He took 331 face-offs and won 181 of them.
- Another bargain option could be Shawn Horcoff, formerly of the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers. Horcoff is coming off a 29 point season for the Stars, playing in 13 minutes per game. He took 363 face-offs and won 185 of them. He’s coming off a deal with an AAV of $5,500,000, so he will clearly be taking a discount to play in the NHL at this point. The Stars were slightly better possession wise with him on the ice as he had a 0.73% CorsiFor% relative to his teammates.
- I really hope the Washington Capitals don’t sign this guy, but Antoine Vermette is an option. Vermette is a bit overrated. He gets way too much attention for a guy who simply doesn’t drive possession.
The Capitals would probably be better off pursuing one in a trade. Personally, I like Marcus Kruger. I wrote more about him here. He’s a restricted free agent for the Chicago Blackhawks.
Top Six Forward
There are several top six forward options for the Washington Capitals in free agency. Are they better off seeking one in a trade? Maybe. But as we’ve seen so far this off-season, trade prices are pretty crazy, so they should at least kick the tires on some free agent options.
- Justin Williams of the Los Angeles Kings is well known for being clutch and for leading three teams to Stanley Cups. I’m not a huge fan of him unless he comes at a reasonable discount. He’d be a mighty fine second line option, or third line option if the Caps have enough faith in Tom Wilson to give him a top six forward spot.
- I really like P.A. Parenteau. He would be an upgrade over Troy Brouwer on the second line and I think he’s the kind of guy who could flourish with Kuznetsov and Johansson. Of course, adding him would most likely mean the departure of Brouwer. But if the Caps are looking to add a value, Parenteau could be a huge bargain.
- Erik Cole is another free agent option who could help the Caps. He’s a veteran guy who has consistently been a pretty good player in the NHL. Could be a nice fit on the Caps second line.
- I’m not a huge Martin St. Louis fan, but I think the Washington Capitals might kick the tires on him. Seems to be the veteran type of guy that Barry Trotz would like.
- Michael Frolik, formerly of the Winnipeg Jets, would be another very solid option. He has Stanley Cup experience as he used to be a member of the Chicago Blackhawks.
Seventh Defenseman Options
The Washington Capitals would probably like to add someone with size and experience, seeing as how Schmidt and Orlov are both on the smaller and less physical ends of the spectrum. Also, I would think that they would pursue a right handed shot, since Orlov and Schmidt are both left-handed.
- Adam Pardy is left handed, but he is a huge guy (6’4″ 220 pounds). He played for the Winnipeg Jets in 2014-2015. He has a slight negative effect on his team’s puck possession.
- The Caps are very familiar with Steven Oleksy. Worth noting though is that he was the Hershey Bears captain last season. I think Hershey would like to keep him in that role if possible. Always important to keep the relationship between AHL and NHL affiliates running smoothly.
- Another familiar face: Tyson Strachan. I’d prefer the Caps go with a younger option like Strachan as opposed to an older, slower player should they choose to turn to free agency to find an extra defenseman.
Diving Into The Bargain Bin
The Capitals desperately need to add some scoring depth. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them swan dive into the bargain bin and take a shot on one (or more) of these candidates.
- David Booth has always had a lot of potential and is very skilled. Unfortunately, he can’t stay healthy. When he can, he’s on the Maple Leafs. If he accepts a cheap one year deal, the Caps could do far worse than seeing if Booth has anything left in the tank.
- Tyler Kennedy would be a really nice addition to the Caps bottom six. If the Caps could get rid of Chimera and in effect replace him with Kennedy for the same salary (probably even a little bit cheaper), that would be a nice upgrade for the Caps.
- He will likely get better offers, but I would love for the Washington Capitals to add Blake Comeau. He did quite well for the Penguins last season. If healthy, he could be a stellar addition to the Caps bottom six and he has proven he’s a capable top six forward in an emergency.
- I’ll acknowledge the pink elephant in the room. Yes, Alexander Semin was bought out. Yes, I would be in favor of bringing him back if he can prove his wrist is healthy. However, no more than a one year $2,000,000 deal.
- Mark Arcobello played for four NHL teams last season. Despite that, he was a positive possession player and even did very well for the Arizona Coyotes. However, for whatever reason, the Coyotes didn’t submit Arcobello a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent. Arcobello, if nothing else, has proven that he can score. The Caps need scoring depth. The fit is quite obvious.
Next: Trade Targets!