According to TSN's Bob McKenzie, the Capitals are not done tinkering. That is not to promise a deal is in the works, but with a roster that is far from polished, a move or two may better position the team to fall short to Pittsburgh yet again.
We cannot envision a scenario in which the Caps make a major move on defense. With tight cap space, there are only two avenues to cutting a deal: trading Brooks Orpik or Braden Holtby. While I have advocated for a Holtby trade in the past, and will continue to do so, first place teams do not trade their starting goaltenders at the trade deadline. He would be better moved in the offseason (which will likely increase the value of whatever draft picks are needed in order to bring in an Ekman-Larsson or Karlsson caliber defenseman).
Note: This is not a condemnation of Holtby's talent. He is still a first rate perennial all-star, and we expect him to continue to be for the foreseeable future. But his salary hit limits the team's options moving forward, and with a seriously stacked goaltending pipeline, everything has to be considered - especially the haul a record setting goalkeeper should bring.
Which leaves Orpik. The odd man out on defense, Orpik has had a famously bad season. While never a driver of play, Orpik's main assets have always been his physicality, shot-blocking, and leadership. His corsi numbers are among the league's worst (along with defensive stalwarts Aaron Ness and Taylor Chorney). His foot speed has degraded to laughable. He is still a fantastic hitter, ranks 5th overall in blocked shots, and he has served as both an on-ice leader and mentor for the two defensive rookies.
All things considered, Orpik's shortcomings cannot be overcome by possession gurus Justin Williams and Marcus Johansson - since they are no longer in DC.
With a stripped away squad, the team's weaknesses are that much more prominent. The Capitals have been dead last in shots for most of the season. Brooks Orpik is a major reason for this. If the Caps can work out a deal, even involving giving up a prospect or mid-round draft pick, to dump Orpik's salary, it will go a long way towards a proper retool.
(We would also like to see either Alex Chiasson or Devante Smith-Pelly traded, and/or Chandler Stephenson sent to the minors. This team is just too easy to play against, and adding a rat who can chip in offensively would be a minor but effective upgrade to the bottom six. Stephenson is being underutilized on the 4th line, but is not good enough to usurp one of the current top nine.)
We cannot envision a scenario in which the Caps make a major move on defense. With tight cap space, there are only two avenues to cutting a deal: trading Brooks Orpik or Braden Holtby. While I have advocated for a Holtby trade in the past, and will continue to do so, first place teams do not trade their starting goaltenders at the trade deadline. He would be better moved in the offseason (which will likely increase the value of whatever draft picks are needed in order to bring in an Ekman-Larsson or Karlsson caliber defenseman).
Note: This is not a condemnation of Holtby's talent. He is still a first rate perennial all-star, and we expect him to continue to be for the foreseeable future. But his salary hit limits the team's options moving forward, and with a seriously stacked goaltending pipeline, everything has to be considered - especially the haul a record setting goalkeeper should bring.
Which leaves Orpik. The odd man out on defense, Orpik has had a famously bad season. While never a driver of play, Orpik's main assets have always been his physicality, shot-blocking, and leadership. His corsi numbers are among the league's worst (along with defensive stalwarts Aaron Ness and Taylor Chorney). His foot speed has degraded to laughable. He is still a fantastic hitter, ranks 5th overall in blocked shots, and he has served as both an on-ice leader and mentor for the two defensive rookies.
All things considered, Orpik's shortcomings cannot be overcome by possession gurus Justin Williams and Marcus Johansson - since they are no longer in DC.
With a stripped away squad, the team's weaknesses are that much more prominent. The Capitals have been dead last in shots for most of the season. Brooks Orpik is a major reason for this. If the Caps can work out a deal, even involving giving up a prospect or mid-round draft pick, to dump Orpik's salary, it will go a long way towards a proper retool.
(We would also like to see either Alex Chiasson or Devante Smith-Pelly traded, and/or Chandler Stephenson sent to the minors. This team is just too easy to play against, and adding a rat who can chip in offensively would be a minor but effective upgrade to the bottom six. Stephenson is being underutilized on the 4th line, but is not good enough to usurp one of the current top nine.)
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