Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman recorded a new episode of his 32 Thoughts: The Podcast on Sunday with Jeff Marek. Entitled Deadline Sunday, Friedman gave a preview of what all 32 teams in the NHL may do as the big day approaches.
Friedman reported that Capitals’ general manager Brian MacLellan is trying to re-sign several of the team’s pending unrestricted free agents. If the team and player cannot come to an agreement, MacLellan is exploring trading them for assets to contending teams. Lars Eller and Nick Jensen are two players that are currently being heavily courted by several teams.
Friedman also reported on a philosophical debate Capitals brass is having internally about how to best move forward, which may include trading all their best prospects for an established young player like defenseman Jakob Chychrun.
Chychrun, I do think they’ve inquired about [him]. But again, even though they’re making moves, it’s not like they have a ton of assets. It’s going to cost them most of their future assets or a good chunk of their future assets. I’ve heard they’re weighing that too. Same thing as Pittsburgh. Do we trade most of our assets (McMichael and Lapierre) that we have for one player? I think that’s something they are considering.
They’re not necessarily considering doing it, but considering if that’s the right decision for them at this time. Hendrix Lapierre, he was scratched for (two games) in the American Hockey League. They’re trying to go through some process with him. So what I see there, it’s not only considering Chychrun, it’s considering is this is the best use of our resources at this time.
McMichael and Lapierre are both in Hershey and are centering the team’s second and third lines. Lapierre recently went down with an injury on Sunday.
Chychrun, a 24-year-old, left-handed blueliner, has two seasons left on his current contract at $4.6 million per. The Coyotes have held him out of their lineup since February 11 for trade-related reasons and have zero plans on having him play again before the March 3 deadline. Chychrun has recorded 28 points (7g, 21a) in 36 games for the Coyotes this season.
If the Capitals landed Chychrun, he would help fill the absence of Dmitry Orlov, who the Capitals dealt last week along with Garnet Hathaway to the Boston Bruins, and help lessen the load for John Carlson, who is 33 and has three years remaining on his current deal.
A trade this costly and of this magnitude would be the single biggest signifier of the Capitals’ vision over the next few years and how hard of a rebuild there might be when Alex Ovechkin retires. MacLellan could either try to mix and match, giving opportunities to its younger players with other veterans they bring in, or strictly focusing on winning now at all costs.
What would you prefer?
Headline photo: Elizabeth Kong/RMNB
