The Washington Capitals are continuing to battle for their playoff lives in 2024, with seven points separating Alex Ovechkin's club from a wildcard berth in the Eastern Conference.
Although there's a chance the Caps surge in the second half and return to the dance, it's not looking good; there are at least seven teams battling for precious few playoff spots. The Metropolitan Division is also as crowded as any in the NHL.
Add that to the fact that Washington has scored the third-least amount of goals this season, and it could be time to sell ahead of the Mar. 8 deadline. And two forwards are emerging as trade chips in the nation's capital. Both Nic Dowd and Anthony Mantha are receiving trade interest, reported NHL Trade Rumors' Rob Couch on Tuesday.
Time for Capitals to sell again?
Dowd, 33, has spent the last five seasons of his career with the Capitals, while Mantha, 29, was traded from the Red Wings in early 2021. Both players might be calling a different city home in a month, and that's even more likely if the team doesn't string together some wins coming out of the All-Star break.
“Dowd is a solid bottom-six center who can log minutes and step up if needed. He is currently lining up on the fourth line in Washington, but his 15:49 of ice time per game suggests that he does a lot more,” wrote Couch.
“He is a good two-way player and a strong penalty killer as well. Dowd can be trusted in the faceoff circle and will also block shots, play physically, and produce at a consistent rate. A team looking at him can expect at least 10 goals and in the mid-20s in points.”
Mantha has seen his name swirling in trade rumors for most of the season, although he has remained in the nation's capital. That could change in 2024, especially as he's second on the team with 15 goals. Although the $5.7 million AAV is still steep, his size and goal-scoring ability would presumably make him an attractive rental for a contending team.
Washington did well ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline in 2023, shipping Garnet Hathaway and Dmitry Orlov to Boston, offloading Lars Eller to Colorado and dealing Marcus Johansson to Minnesota.
The returns — which were mostly high draft picks — will be crucial for an aging Capitals team in the future. It'll be intriguing to see if GM Brian MacLellan ends up looking to the future again in 2024, or if he'll trust the club to return to the dance come April.
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