Washington Capitals: 3 blockbuster Lars Eller trades
The Washington Capitals are in a weird spot this offseason. Do they try the same thing again hoping for a different result or do they make trades to try and stack up the roster with some new faces?
If you’ve been reading any of my work at Stars and Sticks lately, I mention two names of players that would make sense in trading. One of them is Lars Eller.
Part of my reasoning is that Eller seems to be the odd man out on a team stacked with centers looking to create space for Connor McMichael. Of course, that could change depending on the nature of Nicklas Backstrom’s hip injury.
Lars Eller for Jordan Greenway
Eller carries a cap hit of $3.5 million. Jordan Greenway, who’s a versatile winger that could play on the right or left side, has a cap hit of $3 million with the Minnesota Wild. His numbers are somewhat similar to Eller’s.
A note for this exercise you may see more wingers in the proposed trade deals than centers. That’s to create that opening for McMichael and help balance out the wingers who are looking to fill that void left by Tom Wilson.
Greenway had 10 goals and 17 assists for 27 points while playing mostly at left wing. Eller had 13 goals and 18 assists for 31 points. Not too much of a difference plus the Caps are a much better offensive team.
Lars Eller for Warren Foegele
This one pained me to write this. Warren Foegele was the villain that gave T.J. Oshie an injury in the first round series in 2019 when he was a member of the Carolina Hurricanes. That play turned the whole series and it came back to cost the Caps in the end.
But if this team once traded for Jaroslav Halak, they can trade for anybody you don’t like or gives you nightmares.
Foegele is 26 and has a cap hit of $2.75 million. He played this past season for the high flying Edmonton Oilers who are led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. He had 12 goals and 14 assists for 26 points. It was probably his best season since that year with the Hurricanes.
His advanced stats are pretty decent too. In the playoffs he was fourth on the team with a Corsi For percentage of 53.74 percent. Foegele also has an Expected Goals For percentage of 46.86 percent and a High Danger Chances For percentage of 51.72 percent, via Natural Stat Trick.
Eller had a 49.38 percent Corsi For percentage, a 53.73 percent Expected Goals For percentage and a High Danger Chances For percentage of 45.95 percent in the playoffs. Similar numbers but one team made it further than the other and is in fact still playing.
Lars Eller for Pius Suter
Lars Eller for Pius Suter might be the best thing for the Capitals. Super just turned 26 and scored 15 goals and 21 assists for 36 points last season with the Detroit Red Wings. He hasn’t even reached his ceiling yet and he certainly would if he joined a team like the Capitals. He could easily get a boost.
Suter can play both center and right wing and carries a cap hit of $3.25 million. His range is around the same as Eller but he does become an unrestricted free agent the next summer.
Suter’s advanced stats were OK. Per Natural Stat Trick, he had a Corsi For percentage of 46.79 percent, a 44.42 percent Expected Goals For percentage, and a 43.76 High Danger Chances For percentage at five on five during the regular season.
Eller’s advanced stats in the regular season were better but then again so were the Capitals over the Red Wings. He had a Corsi For percentage of 50.60 percent, a 48.49 percent Expected Goals For percentage, and a 49.90 High Danger Chances For percentage.
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Those are three options I would go with if I were to trade Lars Eller.