The Washington Capitals came into today’s trade deadline knowing they wanted to make a push to for the playoffs. Currently sitting in 10th place in the East, the Caps sit only 2 points out of the division lead, which would have them sit 3rd in the Eastern Conference. The Caps have played well lately and have finally gotten some life out of their “Young Guns” in Ovechkin, Backstrom and Green. No one was sure who exactly GM George McPhee would pursue today. There were rumors of Roberto Luongo or Evgeni Nabokov coming to DC and that highly tradeable Mike Ribeiro would be on his way out as he had yet to sign a contract. One thing for sure was the the Caps made everyone wait until the very last second of the deadline, and then another hour before any information was released about their “big deal”.
Courtesy: Jeff Gross
GMGM made a few little trades earlier in the week re-acquiring enforcer Joel Rechlicz and picking up forward Dane Byers, both of who were sent to Hershey. As time ticked by today, there wasn’t a whiff of Capital movement, but all eyes were on Mike Ribeiro and Jason Chimera whose names were all over the rumor mill. However, GMGM pulled something completely random out of his hat and sent an odd rippling effect throughout DC and the blogosphere.
There was a rumor that the Caps had a deal set with the Buffalo Sabres and the speculation began. Was it Drew Stafford? Did the Caps trade Ribeiro for Ryan Miller? Was Jason Chimera shipped out for Tyler Myers? Did the Caps land Tomas Vanek?
No. Not even close.
The Washington Capitals traded highly touted Swedish prospect Filip Forsberg to the Nashville Predators for struggling veteran forward Martin Erat and prospect Michael Latta.
Why on Earth would the Capitals give up their best young prospect for a guy who has only scored 4 goals in 36 games this year and 481 points in 723 games in his career?
After about an hour of venting my frustration and resentment towards Capitals management, I settled down and talked it out. I’m still torn on whether or not this is a positive step, but I’ll try to explain how I’m feeling.
The Positives:
Erat is a good player. He averages about 50 points a season and is a solid secondary scorer which the Caps miss in Semin. He should work well with either Ribeiro or Backstrom and will give depth on the wing. He’s only 31 with two years left on his contract so he’ll be here for more than a year, unlike other deadline players GMGM has brought in. He also won’t be relied upon as heavily as he was in Nashville, so he could blossom again, especially with Backstom and Ribeiro feeding him. He was also tied for first in points on the Preds which explains a lot about the team as a whole not being able to score.
Latta is a sparkplug-type player who I think is similar to a Jordan Tootoo. He’s only 21 and will spend some time in Hershey. He could crack the lineup in the future and provide something the Caps haven’t had since Lou Franceschetti.
Forsberg hasn’t even played yet. The Caps needed something immediate without having to give up a roster player. Forsberg would still have to acclimate himself with the NHL game and ice which could take time. Who knows when he’d hit his stride. He plays in Sweden’s tier-2 league, so he’s not even playing against the best competition that is offered.
The Negatives:
Erat has four goals and 17 assists in 36 games. He’s a -7 on a team with mostly plus players. He averages about 50 points a year which isn’t bad, but it’s not amazing. He makes $4.5M a year for two more years which is a lot to pay for a top-6 forward who has a history of injuries. Yes he’s been stuck in a defensive system, but after 10 years he hasn’t cracked the 60 point plateau or even 25 goals? He’s currently on pace for 27 points in 47 games. He’s also a left handed RW which will may not fit well with Oates who doesn’t like to have off-wing players in his system.
Latta. Who the hell is Michael Latta? GMGM says they really like this kid, so I guess I have to trust his judgement, right? I’m sure he’s a solid player in his own right and who am I to say otherwise without ever seeing him play – that’s just ignorant of me. But still, who the hell is this guy?
Forsberg isn’t proven yet but he’s still one of the best players NOT playing in the NHL. He’s not even 19 yet and, even though he’s playing in Sweden’s 2nd tier league, he’s still an elite prospect. He was expected to join Hershey in about a month. Who knows what he could have done? He’s got a rocket of a shot. He can stickhandle very well. Skate even better, and he’s a natural leader.
To give up someone like Forsberg for a 31 year old 50 point scorer who may be washed up and is often injured , and a kid who might not ever see a Caps jersey let alone wear one isn’t sitting well with me.
Another thing that I am still trying to figure out is the cap issue going into next year. The Caps need to sign Ribeiro, especially since they didn’t trade him. He’s a UFA and they cannot let him go for nothing. He wants to stay anyway. On top of that the Caps need to resign Alzner, Johansson, Hendricks, Fehr, and Neuvirth.
Conclusion:
Martin Erat will have to prove that he can play with the Washington Capitals. He’s going to have to really wow the fan base. The Caps gave up an elite prospect, a kid who was called the future by McPhee and Leonsis, for a veteran who may be past his prime.
I don’t hate the fact the Caps got Erat and I’m actually excited to see him play because no one has ever seen what he can do in an offensive system like Oates’, but I think we paid too much for him.
I want to be proven wrong and eat my own words.
McPhee knows what he gave up for Erat and Latta, “…you have to give up a good player, and we gave up a good player in Forsberg,” the GM said. “We’re able to do it because I think we’re drafting well. As long as you draft well you can make these moves.”
So I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens. Erat will be in DC tomorrow morning and hopefully be on the ice for practice before the Caps take on the Islanders tomorrow at 7pm. Latta will report to Hershey and Forsberg could be in a Preds jersey in a month.
For GMGM’s sake, this deal better work out in favor of the Capitals or his job has to be in serious jeopardy.
More to come…
