Subscribe
Follow Us
The Washington Capitals took some big chances in the offseason as they tried to retool the roster. The Capitals made intriguing trades like the Pierre-Luc Dubois deal with the Los Angeles Kings. These moves looked rather risky on paper. Washington added underperforming players with a previous track record of success. But none of these players were guaranteed to work out.
So far, those moves have worked out and then some. Dubois has played well for the Capitals in 2024-25. Goalie Logan Thompson capitalized on his breakout season by signing a six-year contract extension. And the team has seen the likes of Dylan Strome and Aliaksei Protas make massive jumps in their games this year.
Then, of course, there's the ageless Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin is closing in on Wayne Gretzky's all-time goal-scoring record this season. He has 25 goals to this point in the 2024-25 campaign. And he has played an integral role in Washington's success during this regular season.
Of course, the Capitals are not a perfect team. There is some work this team must do before the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline on March 7th. But they are in a good spot to add the pieces they need to add for the upcoming playoff push.
What Washington adds certainly remains to be seen. But there is one area of the ice the Capitals certainly should address. It's a position the team has already addressed in a previous trade. However, it's a position they should revisit before the buzzer sounds at 3 PM Eastern Time on March 7th.
Capitals need more center depth
The Capitals traded for Lars Eller in an early-season deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins in November. It was a move that certainly made a lot of sense. Washington needed center depth after a hot start to the season. Pittsburgh was out of the playoff race at the time. And Eller had won a Stanley Cup with Washington back in 2018.
Unfortunately, the move hasn't worked out as envisioned for the Capitals. Eller has played well enough, but he has had some rough performances this year. Eller is a free agent at the end of this season. As a result, it would be worth it for Washington to add a center at the NHL Trade Deadline.
The Capitals don't necessarily need to trade for a young center. Though adding a long-term option makes sense, they need to think about the short-term given the re-opening of their contention window. A young center such as Trevor Zegras would make sense, but if the price is too high, there are a number of veteran options who can do the job just fine.
There are a couple of complications to consider here. The first is that Washington is not the only team seeking a center. The Toronto Maple Leafs are seeking a third-line center this year, for example. Contending teams aren't the only ones seeking a center, either. Basement-dwelling teams such as the Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators also want depth down the middle.
The other complication is the salary cap. The Capitals are projected to have about $3.65 million in salary cap space at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, according to PuckPedia. This gives them some maneuvering room, sure. However, they may need to get creative to add some of the options to the trade market.
How the Capitals go about adding a center is up for debate. In any event, they need improved depth down the middle of the ice. Adding a center could certainly help keep them in line with other Stanley Cup contenders in the Eastern Conference during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
