3 players who have something to prove in the final weeks

#2 Lars Eller

Lars Eller has a lot to prove. Despite the occasional scratches it’s no secret that Connor McMicheal is the future of the franchise and can play center. That puts Eller in an interesting situation. When McMichael was inserted back into the lineup, Eller moved to the fourth line wing.

Eller moved back to center in Sunday afternoon’s game against the Boston Bruins and made the most of it by scoring the game winning goal in a 4-2 win. He moved back to center due to Nicklas Backstrom missing the game due to “body maintenance”.

Eller not only scored the game winning goal but helped a penalty kill kill off four Bruins power plays. He also had an assist on Tom Wilson’s career high 23 goals this season. Eller has 10 goals and 15 assists for 25 points.

Eller has one seasons left on his contract and carries a cap hit of $3.5 million. If the Caps were to shed salary and make a trade this summer, Eller could be a potential target. He would be a good second or third line center on any team.

McMichael has two seasons left on his entry level contract. If he continues to elevate his game it could put Caps management in a tough spot when it comes to Eller.