Capitals Trade Talk: When Will Injuries, Inconsistency Lead To Moves?

ARLINGTON, V.A. — Over the last couple of years, the Washington Capitals have gotten used to seeing big names go down with injury. But even this current situation is bewildering.

Going into the 2022-23 campaign, the only injured guys up front were Nicklas Backstrom (hip resurfacing surgery), Tom Wilson (ACL surgery) and Carl Hagelin (hip surgery). Now, that list includes T.J. Oshie (lower body), Connor Brown (ACL surgery), Beck Malenstyn (hand surgery) and John Carlson (lower body). Oshie is out indefinitely, Brown is likely to miss the remainder of the 2022-23 campaign, Malenstyn is out 6-8 weeks and Carlson is on the injured reserve, with his return unknown.

To recap, the Capitals are down four top-6 forwards, two top penalty killers and a No. 1 defenseman, and even one of the call-ups to help fill the void up front is on the shelf.

At the same time, Washington is seeing inconsistency and sits 5-5-2 to open the season. Right now, the only area of consistency is in the net, as Darcy Kuemper and Charlie Lindgren are bringing stability as the new tandem. Otherwise, there are struggles across the board, but mainly up front. The Capitals are failing to convert or do much damage at 5-on-5 and their 2.75 goals per game are the eighth-lowest in the league. And of course, missing key scorers doesn’t help there, either.

Looking at the entire situation, this isn’t where Washington expected to be at this point. And with Thanksgiving approaching and every point crucial as the Metro Division gets tighter, there needs to be a solution sooner rather than later. Right now, the team has call-ups at the ready, but at what point does general manager Brian MacLellan outsource for an answer?

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Well, we know it’s not going to be tomorrow.

On TSN’s Insider Trading, Pierre LeBrun said that the Capitals recently got a call from Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes. Hughes has an influx of forwards and needs to get rid of some of that talent up front, and reportedly has the likes of Jonathan Drouin, Evgenii Dadonov and Mike Hoffman on the trade block. However, Washington isn’t ready to make a trade at this point and wants to see what guys like Connor McMichael and Sonny Milano can do.

So, if not in the coming days, when? And also, who?

Over the next few games, expect the team to evaluate its options and see where it needs depth and who works out where. Testing the depth is the best next step. Milano, as well as Garrett Pilon and Lucas Johansen, are all waiting for their opportunity to show what they can do when they get a sweater. Milano himself is looking to prove he can be a consistent top-6 winger, and that’s exactly the role that the Capitals need to fill right now. If he can take over there, then perhaps a big deal isn’t necessary.

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But, if things aren’t working out come Thanksgiving and the team is lacking when it comes to playoff position, look for MacLellan to make a move. Something’s got to give, and if the internal solutions aren’t coming together, then it’s time to go elsewhere. Looking at the Canadiens’ options, it’s unlikely that Washington will jump at anything right there now. None are off to particularly hot starts. The one name that does stand out is Drouin, as the former 20-goal scorer may still have some upside. However, the team may want to explore across the league. With several players on IR and cap space to work with, there could be room to make a move for a bigger name, but Washington would have to be fine giving things up the other way.

Right now, the season is still starting and there’s not much trade talk to build off of. However, expect things to get interesting as the playoff picture gets clearer. It’s still early and there’s still time to fight for playoff position, but teams will start to get a picture of who’s the real deal in each division by the holiday. That’s when trade talk might start to get more interesting and where teams may consider making some guys for sale or looking for more options.

Beyond trades, though, some wonder if the Capitals could consider a coaching change. However, MacLellan has said that Washington is happy with head coach Peter Laviolette and what he brings to the table. Plus, he has had to deal with injury after injury since taking the reins in 2020. Therefore, that seems unlikely as he weathers the storm and has still managed to keep the team in playoff position. So, unless there’s an absolute nosedive, a change there doesn’t seem likely.