Round two, anyone?

It’s fun to play armchair General Manager. It’s also guesswork. No transaction exists in a vacuum. From the outside, a single signing or trade might make sense, but we aren’t privy to a GM’s long-term vision and how that vision informs player evaluation, we’re all operating in the dark when it comes to what may or may not be a realistic trade.

But, like I said, it’s fun!

Let’s talk about a few players around the league and whether or not we think the Caps should target them as the March 2 trade deadline approaches.

Daniel Winnik

Wing/Center, Toronto Maple Leafs
Cap hit: $1.3 million
Free agent after 2014-15 season

(All HERO charts courtesy of Own the Puck)

Peter says:

Winnik is one of those quiet, underappreciated guys who uniformly makes his teammates better (sterling WOWYS). If Toronto is willing to make a trade before the deadline, which they totally and obviously are, the Caps should go for it. Think about it: Winnik is a solid middle-sixer who earns less than Brouwer ($3.6 MM), Ward ($3 MM), and Chimera ($2 MM), but does more to drive possession any of those guys.

The question in my mind is always whom the Caps could deal. If Toronto commits to a genuine rebuild, and they should, they might not settle for a veteran UFA forward who is “good in the room.” Dealing youth players scares me, but I’m still very much in favor of improving the middle six with Winnik.

Ian says:

If the Caps are looking for some forward depth heading into the playoffs, this is their man. Winnick is a smart, underrated player who could basically play anywhere. If Toronto is willing to take Washington’s extra third-round pick and a low-level prospect for a player who won’t want to re-sign, why not?

Pat says:

Winnik would be a really good fit for the Caps. While there are other forwards available who may make a bigger impact, Winnik makes sense for a lot of reasons. He has a low cap hit, so the Caps wouldn’t have to do anything drastic to stay under the cap if they traded for him. He’s a UFA at the end of the season, so his salary comes off the books at the end of the season. He’s capable of playing top-six minutes. He’s spent time playing with really talented forwards like Ryan O’Reilly and Nazem Kadri.  He’s been a positive relative possession player in four of his six seasons in the league, including this season at plus-4.2 percent. He likely wouldn’t cost all that much. The Caps could do much worse than acquiring Winnik.

Jaromir Jagr

Wing, New Jersey Devils
Cap hit: $3.5 million
Free agent after 2014-15 season

Peter says:

On principle.

Ian says: 

I get why this would make a lot of sense. Jagr could make the first line lethal. Jagr and Ovechkin are already friends and he’d fit in on this team easily. Jagr is– somehow at his age– also a reliable playoff producer. The problem becomes every contending team in the NHL wanting him at the deadline, and it’s going to cost way too much to bring him here. I can’t get behind this.

Pat says:

Yes. 1,000 times yes. Jagr should he a top priority for the Caps on the trade market. No, I don’t care about what happened the last time he played for the Caps. It didn’t work out. Oh, well. I don’t see any reason to harbor personal resentment about that. He’d make this team better immediately and that’s all that I care about. He’s a first line player, with an expiring contract, who wants to play for a contender. I will host the welcome party at Dulles to greet him the day he arrives.

Antoine Vermette

Center, Arizona Coyotes
Cap hit: $3.75 million
Free agent after 2014-15 season

Peter says:

One of the most overrated players of the pre-deadline period and for whatever reason Caps fans keep talking about him. I’ll just say I don’t see what they see and leave it at that.

Ian says:

To me, there’s no use adding Vermette when Kuznetsov appears to be coming into his own. Brooks Laich could play the position in a pinch if need be and Troy Brouwer has been dominant when taking face-offs. The Caps have so much forward depth and versatility, there’s no reason to waste a pick or a prospect on a player that would just be more of what the Caps already have.

Pat says:

Vermette keeps getting linked to the Caps. An NHL Network analyst (honestly can’t remember who) said he’s a player capable of playing first line minutes. I don’t see it. He hasn’t been a positive possession player in over three seasons. Based off of his production, he’s probably a third-line center. I’ll take my chances with the Caps’ current group of centers before giving up assets for Vermette.

Jordan Leopold

Defense, Columbus Blue Jackets
Cap hit: $1.392 million
Free agent after 2014-15 season

Peter says: 

I’ve got this suspicion about stay-at-home defensemen. The notion that there are players who exist solely to get buried in shots and therefore we shouldn’t care about their differential rings false to me. Leopold is an experienced, play-suppressing D-man with very little offensive contribution. BMac might love him, but I do not. I’d rather just bank on Schmidt and Orlov getting healthy with Hillen and Oleksy in reserve, but maybe I just like to live dangerously.

Ian says: 

Nope. With Dmitry Orlov and Nate Schmidt soon to be back, under no circumstances should the Caps try to add a defenseman.

Pat says: 

The Caps may want a defenseman as insurance due to the injuries to Dmitry Orlov and Nate Schmidt and the play of Jack Hillen. I’d bet against the Caps going after a defensemen. But if they do, it would be to acquire a guy capable of playing third-pair minutes, on a cheap contract, who wouldn’t cost much. Leopold fits that bill.