Should Washington Capitals Trade For Cody Eakin?

By Bradley Davis |

Mar 12, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Stars center Cody Eakin (20) celebrates his goal against the St. Louis Blues during the first period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Capitals are in need of a strong third-line center. Is a former member of the organization the answer?

During Washington Capitals GM Brian MacLellan’s press conference last week, one of the most important topics that was discussed was where MacLellan believed the holes in his team were.

As many fans expected, the third line center position was heavily discussed. During the post-season, lines were juggled several times with Marcus Johansson and Mike Richards occupying the position most of the time.

While Johansson did well, the Washington Capitals would like to keep him on the wing. At the same time, it is unclear whether or not Richards will return to the team. While the Caps were pleased with his defensive play, the offensive side of his game left a lot to be desired.

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While those two rotated during the second round defeat to the Pittsburgh Penguins, their opponent’s third line, centered by Nick Bonino, lit the Capitals up. Carl Hagelin, Bonino’s winger opposite of Phil Kessel, had a series-high seven points in six games. Bonino has 13 points in 15 overall playoff games this season.

The Washington Capitals do have options beyond Johansson and Richards, but it is hard to argue that Jay Beagle is the third line center on a Stanley Cup-winning squad.

For years, Washington needed a second line center. They now have it in Evgeny Kuznetsov. Like clockwork, it is becoming more and more apparent that they need to be three-strong down the middle.

The Washington Capitals have the money to address their needs, and it appears the answer to that equation might be a former prized prospect of the organization.

At the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals swapped center prospect Cody Eakin and a draft pick for center Mike Ribeiro of the Dallas Stars. Ribeiro would go on to play just one lockout-shortened season with the Caps as their second line center before walking away in free agency for nothing.

While Eakin was never projected to be a game-breaker, he was the best center prospect in the organization that was on North American soil. However, the Washington Capitals believed that they were in win-now mode then, so they pulled the trigger on that deal.

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Almost four years later, the team probably wishes they still had Eakin. The 24-year old has established himself as a 35-40 point player as the third line center on one of the league’s most powerful offenses.

Eakin had a goal and eight assists in 13 playoff games with the Stars this season before they were eliminated in seven games by the St. Louis Blues.

So, why would the Dallas Stars trade a productive player like Eakin? (Defending Big D had something to say about this scenario as well, so check it out for a perspective from the other side)

For one, they have several solid prospects like Radek Faksa or Mattias Janmark who are establishing themselves as NHL players. Secondly, they are a team that spent just around $70 million this season, not far off of the league maximum salary cap.

Eakin signed a four-year, $15.4 million extension with the Stars not long ago, but at a cap hit of just under $4 million for those next four seasons, they won’t have much room to sign or trade for more talent. With alternatives to Eakin, he could be expendable.

Obviously, the Washington Capitals spend close to the cap themselves. $4 million for a third line center would be pricey, but it is something that they could probably pull off. It is clear that the team needs three strong players down the middle. With one year left in their self-proclaimed two-year window to win a championship, they will continue to go all-in.

The Dallas Stars don’t have many needs, but one of those holes in between the pipes. Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi take up over $10 million combined, but have not proven to be capable of carrying the team at this point.

This could be where current Capitals goaltender Philipp Grubauer could become expendable. While he may not be ready for a full-season starting schedule, he could be a solid 1B player to either Lehtonen or Niemi, assuming they get rid of one of them. Grubauer has starter potential down the line, and has played generally well when called on by Caps coach Barry Trotz. Whether the Dallas Stars would be interested in Grubauer as a centerpiece to an Eakin deal remains to be seen.

The Stars could also target another position on the Washington Capitals for such a deal to take place. Four of their current NHL defensemen will hit unrestricted free agency this summer. Would they be interested in either Dmitry Orlov or Nate Schmidt? Even then, would the Caps be willing to move on from one of their young, quick blue liners in such a deal?

It is unusual for teams to trade for former players, but Cody Eakin is a very young player still who has proven to be a contributor. He would be able to help the Washington Capitals for many years to come if he returned to DC.

Imagine a third line of Johansson, Eakin, and Tom Wilson. That would certainly be among the league’s best if Wilson’s offensive game can come around, and would provide a lot of flexibility among the team’s top-nine forwards.

Next: Season Review: Jay Beagle

Brian MacLellan mentioned that he didn’t think that the Washington Capitals ever had a true top-nine this past season. If they traded for a strong third line center like Cody Eakin, it would be a step towards accomplishing that for next season.

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