Photo: Chicago Blackhawks

Towards the end of the Caps’ awful 3-0 loss to the Hurricanes, Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune tweeted this.

Source: #Blackhawks and Capitals have had dialogue about possible trade involving Patrick Sharp.

— Chris Kuc (@ChrisKuc) February 28, 2015

That’s exciting.

Patrick Sharp is a beast of a hockey player, as shown here in his HERO chart, courtesy of Own the Puck:

Sharp just turned 33 in December. He is signed through the 2016-17 season with an annual cap hit of $5.9 million. (Washington currently has about $2 million in cap space.)

Sharp’s production has slowed this season. He has just 10 goals and 33 points, his lowest totals since 2005-06, save for the lockout-shortened season in 2012-13. Considering his age, one might be concerned. But, with a closer look, there’s more to the story of Sharp’s decreased scoring.

Patrick Sharp is a career 9-percent shooter during 5v5 hockey. This season he is shooting 1.8 percent. That (and an injury) have a lot more to do with his drop-off than any sudden decline in skill due to age. It might just be bad luck.

Acquiring a 33-year-old player who carries a $5.9 million cap hit for two more seasons comes with risk. But so does any trade for a roster player.

The big point is this: Patrick Sharp is an elite player. He’s the kind you look for reasons to trade for, not the kind you look for excuses not to trade for. He’d be an immediate and dramatic boon to the top six– the biggest infusion of offense this team has seen in years.

This rumor is worth getting excited about.