Martin Erat, part of the most controversial trade in Washington Capitals history, has officially retired.

After three years of playing in the Czech Extraliga for HC Kometa Brno, Erat, at age 37, has thrown in the towel. His transfer to retirement was tweeted out by EP Transfers on Thursday morning.

Confirmed: Martin Erat (F) | HC Kometa Brno -> Retired | https://t.co/EMZx0Lhx3q #epTransfer

— EP Transfers (@ep_transfers) May 30, 2019

Erat’s time with the Capitals was highly controversial. In what is described as one of the worst trades in NHL history, GM George McPhee sent up-and-coming prospect Filip Forsberg to the Nashville Predators for a 31-year-old Erat and Michael Latta on April 3, 2013.

Erat was consistently a 40-50-point scorer with the Preds. In his short tenure with the Capitals, where he was supposed to put the team over the top in the playoffs, he had 27 points in 66 games. The Capitals lost to the New York Rangers in seven games during Erat’s only playoff series with the team, where he played in four games.

After being scratched for several games during the 2013-14 season, Erat requested a trade and the Capitals flipped him to the Phoenix Coyotes.

That 2013-14 campaign was so difficult for Erat in Washington that Alex Ovechkin picked up his goal puck, like it was a milestone goal, after the Czech scored for the first time that year in February.

On the flip side, Filip Forsberg has grown into the Nashville Predators’ best goalscorer, serving as an alternate captain and scoring over 50 points in each of his 5 full seasons. The Predators have poked fun at the Capitals for the trade.

How bad was the deal? Less than four years after the trade was made, Filip Forsberg had scored as many goals against Washington as Martin Erat and Michael Latta scored in their Caps’ careers combined.

While playing in the Czech league the past three seasons, Erat has been almost a point per game player. He will retire after an 18-year professional career.

Headline photo: Elsa