Washington Capitals: Trading For A Top Six Forward!
Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
The Caps are aggressively pursuing a top six forward to upgrade their roster. As I said before, the free agency market is rather weak. Therefore, the Caps will most likely upgrade courtesy of a trade. We’ve written a lot about trade candidates, so here are the ones that we’ve written about (and some that we haven’t)!
Kessel
Without a doubt, the biggest name that the Washington Capitals have been tied to is Toronto Maple Leafs wing Phil Kessel. Kessel is an immensely talented forward, and to say otherwise is pretty silly. Like Ovechkin, he’s a high volume shooter. So why’s he a fit for the Caps? Because he’s precisely what the second line needs. However, there’s an issue: he’d cost a lot.
"Most of the deals that we looked at tend to follow the same format; 1st Round Pick Young NHL Roster Player Top Young Prospect – Editor In Leaf"
And rightfully so because he is really good. Goal scoring is at a premium in the NHL these days. Kessel scores goals. Do the math. He has a cap hit of $8,000,000 a season through 2021-2022.
Oshie
Another popular name is T.J. Oshie, who the Blues are allegedly listening to offers for. He’s not exactly what the Washington Capitals need, but he would be an upgrade to what they currently have.
Sharp
The best fit for the Washington Capitals is most likely Patrick Sharp. Despite aging, his shot generation numbers are very impressive and he shows signs of a bounce-back season after a rough season in 2014-2015.
Vrbata
Another great fit for the Caps would be Radim Vrbata of the Vancouver Canucks. However, it is not likely that Vancouver will move him because they just cleared some cap space, which would be the primary motivation in trading Vrbata. If they’re selling him, the Caps should be very interested.
Okposo
Could the Capitals turn to a division rival in their pursuit for a top six forward? Kyle Okposo could be a nice fit for the Caps, particularly because of his cap hit.
Eriksson
If the Capitals want a huge potential bargain on the trade market, Boston Bruins forward Loui Eriksson could be a nice fit. The Bruins are clearly in sell mode, so perhaps the Caps and Bruins could revisit an old trade proposal: Brouwer (plus a mid to late 2016 draft pick) for Eriksson.
Hartnell
This is a new one. The Columbus Blue Jackets, while they did just trade for Brandon Saad, desperately need to improve their blue line. Problem: they have very little cap space to do so. If I were Columbus, I’d be shopping Hartnell and my other relatively high priced forwards to see what I could get for them. Hartnell would be a nice fit on the Caps first forward line, acting as a modern day Mike Knuble. I hate Hartnell, but man I’d LOVE him on the Caps. No idea what it would cost to get him though, or even if he’s available.
Another Bruin
Going down the “potential bargain” route again, the Bruins could be interested in moving someone like Reilly Smith. He’s more a third line wing, but he has been slightly underutilized by Boston. I think he could be a solid second line guy.
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He has a $3,425,000 cap hit through the next two seasons. I’d probably prefer him to Troy Brouwer. Like Hartnell, I don’t have the faintest clue what it would take to get Smith, but I like him.
Doan
Shane Doan of the Arizona Coyotes seems to me to be the kind of guy that Barry Trotz loves. He’s physical, he plays very solid defense and he tends to be viewed as a “character guy”. He’s also never made it to a Stanley Cup final. He could be very open on to be trading to the Caps. A Laich + a 2016 draft pick (probably a third or a second) might be a decent starting point for a Doan trade.
Yakupov
If the Caps really want to go for a huge bargain, I wouldn’t be surprised if they traded for Nail Yakupov of the Edmonton Oilers. I wrote more about him here. A Brouwer for Yakupov swap would make sense, though I think one side needs to add more. To be frank, I’m not even sure which side does at this point. The Caps would be wise to at least check in on Yakupov though. Lots of talent and he’s still extremely young.
As the Washington Capitals kick the tires of the trade market and as the off-season progresses, stay tuned to Stars and Sticks for constant updates and analysis!