As we enter the Conference finals, it is the offseason for so many teams. One team is potentially on the move. A few others are striving to lock up in-house talent. In addition, we have a coaching carousel that is ongoing. As we get deeper into the offseason, one team to watch for is the Washington Capitals. They may look into an Alex DeBrincat trade.
DeBrincat Could Head To The Nations Capital
Rumour: Sammi Silber from The Hockey News discusses an Alex DeBrincat trade
Remember when everyone laughed at the Chicago Blackhawks for not getting a better return for DeBrincat? Well nobody laughing now. Things in Ottawa regarding winger Alex DeBrincat are not well. In fact, the word is he is non-commital in terms of sticking around. Bruce Garrioch from The Ottawa Suns states, “From what I heard this morning, I think we’re talking about a guy who has no inclination of signing here,” said Garrioch. “He said he’s open to having discussions but I found what he said was very non-committal. He didn’t show any signs that he’s going to sign a contract extension here.”
For a team that gave up the 7th overall pick, that’s a tough pill to swallow. However, an Alex DeBrincat trade could fetch a return and help a fellow team in the same conference.
The Fit In D.C.
As long as Alexander Ovechkin is playing hockey, this team will not rebuild. However, a retool and a fast one will be the likely play. With some aging veterans on the roster, the team will strive to get younger. That was evident when they went ahead and traded for defenseman Rasmus Sandin. But another trade could be on the horizon.
Washington currently only has around $6 million in cap space entering next season. Majority of their core group is locked up and defenseman got signed prior to the season-ending. This team is deeper down the middle, but needs scoring. This is where a Alex DeBrincat trade makes sense.
Why The Fit
Down the middle, this team boasts centres Nicklas Backstrom, Dylan Strome, and Evgeni Kuznetsov. The problem lies on it’s wings. Yes the team still has guys like Tom Wilson and TJ Oshie, but they had a major scoring problem. Ovechkin led the charge with 42 goals. Closest to him? Strome with 23 followed by Oshie with 19. For a team that will not intend to rebuild, they need more especially if you want to win a championship.
Prior to the move to Ottawa, DeBrincat scored 41 goals and had 78 points. The year prior he had 32. DeBrincat has a nose for the net and brought that same scoring touch to Ottawa. He went on to skate in all 82 games and went on to score 27 goals and 62 points. There is a fit for him with Washington and that team desperately needs another scorer.
Main Photo: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
