The Washington Capitals made their first salvo ahead of Friday afternoon’s NHL Trade Deadline, dealing longtime fourth-line center Nic Dowd to the Vegas Golden Knights for depth goaltender Jesper Vikman and picks.
While sending out the veteran Dowd signals the team is selling (the acquisition of Vikman also suggests Charlie Lindgren may be on his way out, too), the Capitals will not be “pure sellers,” according to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun.
The NHL Insider tweeted that the Capitals will try do what they’ve done in past years: be both buyers and sellers. It’s just left to be seen if they can pull it off.
The reporting comes as John Carlson, Trevor van Riemsdyk, and Brandon Duhaime have seen their names enter the rumor mill, and the Capitals have been linked throughout the season to top forward talent, especially top-six wingers who have term, after missing out on Nikolaj Ehlers over the offseason.
The Capitals reportedly tried to trade for Artemi Panarin before the Olympic break, but he was dealt to the Los Angeles Kings. Throughout the season, they’ve been rumored to have interest in Jordan Kyrou, Brayden Schenn, Phillip Danault, and Conor Garland.
Over the past few seasons, the Capitals have mostly gone down the retooling route — both ahead of the trade deadline and during the offseason — as the team has tried to stay competitive during Alex Ovechkin‘s final years in the NHL.
Now, according to LeBrun, it looks like they’ll try that philosophy again, hoping to both improve over the long haul and potentially battle for a playoff spot down the stretch, too.
