3 deals we are glad didn’t happen at the NHL Trade Deadline
The NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone and for the Washington Capitals their final roster is set as they look to make a deep playoff run. But first we got some exciting games against playoff teams to close out the regular season.
The Caps traded Daniel Sprong for Marcus Johansson and also acquired Johan Larsson for draft picks. They recently scored their first goals with the team since the acquisitions. The Caps also decided to go with Ilya Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek in goal for the foreseeable future instead of making a splash to acquire a veteran net minder.
#3 Lars Eller for Claude Giroux
It is very possible that Lars Eller might get traded over the offseason. It’s a good thing they didn’t deal him now. Although he has had a down season and fell below expectations, there’s been an uptick in his game as he scored three goals in two of his last three games.
Eller has 12 goals and 16 assists for 28 points. Claude Giroux has 20 goals this season including two with the club he ended up going to, the Florida Panthers. The Caps keeping Eller shows they still at least got confidence in him even though he occasionally moves to wing.
#2 John Carlson for anybody
Earlier in the season one of our contributors wrote that John Carlson had been the Capitals worst defenseman. One of my friends even suggested that the team should trade him at the trade deadline. I’m glad the Caps didn’t do that as there wasn’t a single defenseman on the market that would make up for a player like Carlson.
Carlson has 15 goals and 51 assists for 66 points. He’s got four goals in his last five games. He’s also had at least one assist in every game including four in a win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Carlson’s 66 points are good for fifth in the NHL. His 51 assists are good for seventh. And his 15 goals are good for fourth among defensemen across the league. Carlson continued his best offensive stretch of the season with a goal and an assist in last night’s loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Carly gets one back pic.twitter.com/ko9kPvFZhy
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 15, 2022
Carlson extended his point streak to five games with four goals and seven assists. It’s a stretch that includes four multi point games and his third five game point streak of the season. With his goal in the second period, Carlson reached the 15 goal mark for the third time in his career.
#1 Ilya Samsonov for Marc-Andre Fleury
You all knew this one was coming. It was a good thing the Caps didn’t gamble and trade for Marc Andre-Fleury for this simple reason: he did not want to come here. Ilya Samsonov was drafted here and like him or get frustrated with him, he wants to be here. And he is playing to try to stay here.
Samsonov is 22-10-4 with a 3.00 goals against average and a .897 save percentage. Fleury is 24-22-5 with a 2.88 goals against average and a .910 save percentage. Although that’s very impressive he’s only 6-5-1 with the Wild with a 2.36 goals against average and a .929 save percentage.
Before last night’s debacle, Samsonov won three starts in a row. That included games against the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Lightning before avoiding a trap game to the Philadelphia Flyers as his teammates put up a nine spot. The way Samsonov has played lately has increased my confidence in him. I think he has the edge at this moment as the playoff starter.
More. Capitals winning streak ends in Toronto. light
But don’t count out Vitek Vanecek either. When the season is all said and done, Cup or not, it’s going to be an interesting decision seeing who the goaltender next year could be.