Report: Capitals Interested In Bringing Back Johansson At Trade Deadline

The 2022 NHL Trade Deadline is officially here, and the Washington Capitals are reportedly looking to bring a familiar face back on board. Per TSN’s Chris Johnston, the Capitals are interested in bringing back Marcus Johansson.

Washington originally took Johansson 24th overall in the 2009 NHL Draft. He spent seven years with the Capitals, skating in 501 games and picking up 102 goals and 188 helpers before leaving for the New Jersey Devils in 2016-17.

The Swedish winger had shown top-6 potential in D.C., picking up a couple of 20-plus goal campaigns and even hitting the 58-point mark in his final season with the Capitals. However, his numbers and consistency dropped off following his departure, and he has not been able to recapture that high-scoring energy.

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After leaving Washington, Johansson went on to play for the Devils, Bruins, Sabres and Wild.  He is currently playing with the Seattle Kraken after signing a one-year deal, $1.5 million deal over the offseason. Through 51 games, he has six goals and 17 assists.

The 31-year-old would be a good pickup for the Capitals. He is a talented, versatile forward who is a good puck carrier and possesses strong playmaking ability and a wicked shot. While he hasn’t had the most consistency, he isn’t too expensive and is a good depth option. Johansson is also a familiar face and gets along well with the current core. Not only that, Johansson can help continue to spark the power play.

Not only that, with the team recently seeing forwards Nic Dowd and T.J. Oshie go down with injuries, having another option like Johansson would be good. Overall, it would be a smart, low-risk move for Washington.