Should the Capitals trade for a defenseman?

We are just under a month away from the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline and several questions are facing the Washington Capitals. But of course, there are three main ones. In case you missed it, we tackled whether the team should trade for a forward here.

Today’s question is should the Capitals trade for a defenseman? The short answer, in my opinion, is no. The long answer? Well that’s the purpose of this article.

As far as the current defense goes, the Caps are OK as far as stock goes. They’ve got a consistent six man group this year but one could argue that there’s always room for improvement. However, defense isn’t a top priority for the Caps. It’s more forward, which we talked about yesterday and a position that we’ll talk about tomorrow.

The Caps, if they were to shop for a defenseman, would probably go the depth route instead of a drastic shakeup. Michal Kempny and Matt Irwin were healthy scratches at today’s practice.

Kempny, Irwin, and Justin Schultz are each on expiring contracts. Kempny unfortunately isn’t what he used to be. Irwin is good for depth. Schultz is coming off an injury and took rushes on the third pair today with Trevor van Riemsdyk.

The Caps may add for depth or just keep the blue line intact and make a big move in the offseason. What kind of chips could the Caps trade if they were to make a move at defense. Kempny and Irwin are options. Dennis Cholowski was here too but got placed on waivers and is back with the Seattle Kraken.

Other guys the Caps could deal include young AHL defensemen Alex Alexeyev or Lucas Johansen. Both have struggled to find their path to the NHL and could use a fresh start with another team. Other defensemen include Vincent Iorio and Brent Johnson. Both are intriguing as the team drafted them this past year.

So the Caps don’t necessarily need a defenseman at the trade deadline but that doesn’t mean General Manger Brian MacLellan won’t have something up his sleeve. You can never doubt the man. Like him or hate him, he can pull off a trade when the opportunity is there.

With that said, I highly doubt the Caps will trade for a defenseman. I don’t think they should pull the trigger. They should see what kind of forwards are available first and then do it if they can’t find the right match.