With the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline just 32 days away, the Washington Capitals are expected to be light buyers as they currently occupy the first wild-card in the Eastern Conference. GM Brian MacLellan promised captain Alex Ovechkin in 2021 that he will make the team competitive as long as he is around to compete for another Stanley Cup, something that has been the norm during his tenure.

Just how aggressive that he will be is uncertain due to strong depth and injured reserve constraints. NoVa Caps reviews Washington’s trade deadline activity under MacLellan.

2015 SEASON

Tim Gleason
The first trade MacLellan made during the season was a trade acquiring Carolina defenseman Tim Gleason in exchange for pending UFA defenseman Jack Hillen and a 2015 fourth round pick. In 17 games, Gleason had two assists and 11 PIM. Gleason was brought in to establish the physical presence the Capitals thought they needed to get past the New York Islanders and Rangers that season. Gleason mostly played on the 3rd pairing with Mike Green and added more depth to the backend. They already signed Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen the previous offseason.  Gleason was held scoreless in the playoffs and would retire from hockey following his stint with the Capitals.

Gleason and Hillen were probably a wash offensively and the added physicality didn’t hurt the Capitals down the stretch.

Grade: C-

Curtis Glencross
The Capitals acquired Calgary left winger Curtis Glencross for a 2nd and 3rd round pick, a move that was controversial at the time.  Glencross got a hot start for Washington, scoring 4 goals in his first 5 games as a Capital. Unfortunately, that was the highlight of his time in D.C.  He finished the year with 4 goals and 7 points in 18 regular season games. His lone playoff goal came in a 2-1 game loss in the 2nd round series against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning New York Rangers. Glencross mostly played in the bottom six with Jay Beagle and Eric Fehr. Like Gleason, Glencross would retire from hockey following his brief stint with the Capitals.

A seconnd and third round pick proved to be an expensive bet on a player that didn’t work out.

Grade: D-

2016 SEASON

Daniel Winnik
Daniel Winnik was brought in at the trade deadline from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Brooks Laich, Connor Carrick, and a 2016 second-round pick. Washington also acquired a 2016 fifth-round pick. This may have been MacLellan’s best in-season move to date, because Laich was in the midst of a season in which he struggled despite a $4.5 million cap hit. Laich scored just one goal and two points in 60 games that year. Winnik scored two goals and three points in the last 20 contests of that season, but he amped up his output last year tallying 12 goals and 25 points in 72 games. He played very well with the Capitals, contributing nicely on the penalty kill, scoring two short-handed goals. He made the Caps fourth line one of the most impressive in the league this past season.

Winnik proved to be an upgrade over the struggling Laich who never returned to form after an injury.  Most importantly, the trade freed up much-needed cap space the next year since Winnik’s contract was a much more affordable $2 million a year.

Grade: B+

Mike Weber
Weber was brought into Washington from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2017 Draft. Weber was brought in for a physical presence, but he finished with a -1 rating in 10 games. He only played two games in the playoffs, but he made a costly turnover in Game 4 against the Penguins in overtime that cost the Capitals the game and, perhaps, the series. The trade was part of the reason why the Caps didn’t have any picks in the first three rounds in 2017.

Despite the seemingly reasonable cost at the time to acquire an extra defenseman, Weber was a bust.

Grade: F

2017 SEASON

Kevin Shattenkirk
MacLellan brought in All-Star defenseman Shattenkirk to help the Capitals try to break the playoff curse. The Capitals acquired Shattenkirk and former Capitals prospect goalie Pheonix Copley from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Zach Sanford, a 2017 1st round pick, Brad Malone, and conditional picks. Shattenkirk never seemed to gel in his short time with the Capitals. He was not strong defensively, earning a +4 in the regular season and a -4 in the playoffs. Offensively, he scored two goals and 14 points in 19 games in the regular season and added a goal and six points in 13 playoff games.

While Shattenkirk didn’t prove to be the missing piece of the puzzle for the Capitals, it’s important to consider the trade in context. Shattenkirk was the most sought-after player approaching the trade deadline and Capitals fans were terrified that Pittsburgh might land him. MacLellan deftly blocked the Penguins from grabbing Shattenkirk, but the season had a familiar ending for the snake-bit Capitals.

Shattenkirk signed a four-year contract with the New York Rangers after the season.

Grade: C-

2018 SEASON

Michal Kempny
In need of defensive depth, the Capitals acquired defenseman Michal Kempny from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for the better of Washington’s two third-round picks in the 2018 NHL Draft.

Unlike MacLellan’s past in-season moves for a defenseman at the trade deadline, he approached that year’s deadline looking for the right fit rather than adding a physical defenseman or the biggest name on the market. His approach worked as Kempny proved to be one of the best deals at the deadline even though it did not involve a big name.

Most people projected Kempny to be a third-pairing defenseman since he was in and out of the lineup with a non-playoff team, but he was slotted in with Carlson on the second pair and fit perfectly. He tallied two goals, three assists, and a +1 rating in 22 regular season games with the Capitals and had two goals, five points, and a +1 in 24 playoff games.

Kempny was set to become an unrestricted free agent July 1 and the team ended up re-signing him to a four-year contract worth $10 million ($2.5 million cap hit). He once again thrived playing on the top defensive pairing and has continued to progress as he finished the 2018-19 season tied for 17th in the NHL with a +24 rating, the first of his contract.

However, injuries have derailed Kempny’s career since as he missed seven months after undergoing hamstring surgery in 2019 and the entire 2020-21 season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn Achilles.

Kempny got off to a solid start in the 2019-20 season with three goals and 11 points in his first 11 games but struggled defensively and his offensive production dropped after that. He was ultimately a healthy scratch in the postseason.

After a rough training camp last season, the 32-year-old got an opportunity when Dennis Cholowski, Martin Fehervary, and Trevor Van Riemsdyk were all out due to COVID-19 protocol and did not look out of place with a goal, two points, -3 rating, 45.48% five-on-five Corsi-for percentage, 47.05% five-on-five expected goals-for percentage, and 45.7% five-on-five scoring chances-for percentage in 15 games.

While the contract did not age well, it led to a Stanley Cup and Kempny fit in seemlessly before surgeries derailed his NHL career. Besides, we are not taking the contract that he signed after that season into account for this piece.

Grade: A

Jakub Jerabek
The Capitals made an effort to upgrade their defensive depth even more when they traded a fifth-round pick to the Montreal Canadiens for Jerabek.

Jerabek had a goal and four points in 11 games with the Capitals, equalling his offensive output in his 25 games with Montreal. Though he collected a -1 rating, Jerabek averaged 13:57 of ice time and tallied 14 hits with the Capitals and played well most of the time. Jerabek played primarily on the third pair with Orpik when in the lineup. He rotated in and out with rookie defenseman Christian Djoos and did not play in the playoffs after Game 2 of the First Round.

Jerabek was a solid pick up as an insurance policy. He signed a one-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers just prior to training camp the following season.

Grade: B

2019 SEASON

Carl Hagelin
Looking for another depth forward who could help a struggling penalty kill that was 22nd in the NHL with an efficiency of 78.4% at the time of the trade, the Capitals acquired a speedy forward in Hagelin. A conditional sixth-round pick in 2019 was part of the deal but did not go to Los Angeles since the Capitals failed to reach the Eastern Conference Final.

After posting two goals, eight points, and an even rating in 38 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Kings at the time of the trade, Hagelin beat all of those numbers in just 20 games with the Capitals, recording three goals, 11 points, and a +7 rating. He added a point — an assist — in seven Stanley Cup Playoff games. The 30-year old averaged 2:21 of ice-time on the penalty kill, a team-high among forwards. Following the trade, the Capitals improved to 80% on the penalty kill and their 88% efficiency with a man down during the postseason remains the third-best among all 16 teams. His 2:56 of ice-time on the penalty kill during the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs was second among Capitals forwards behind only center Lars Eller (3:19). His nine takeaways in the postseason were second on the Capitals behind Eller (11) and 15 hits were tied with Smith-Pelly and defenseman Dmitry Orlov for the fifth-most.

The acquisition, which cost just a third-round pick, bolstered the Capitals forward depth and was a remedy for an ailing penalty kill just before he got here. Hagelin was promoted to the top-six when Oshie went down with a broken collarbone and missed the final three games in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs. For the second straight year, MacLellan nailed the trade deadline.

After a slow start as he recorded just seven assists and a +5 rating in his first 30 games of the first full season with the Capitals that included 11 games missed due to a lower-body injury, the 32-year-old finished with eight goals, 18 points, and a +7 rating in his final 31 games. played a vital role on the Capitals’ penalty kill, averaging 2:55 per game (the most among the team’s forwards and second on the team behind defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler: 3:11), which ranked sixth in the NHL with an 82.6% penalty-killing rate. 

In 2020-21, Hagelin was part of the team’s shut-down line and played a critical role on a penalty kill that ranked fifth in the NHL with an 84% efficiency, where he averaged 2:34 per game (most among Capitals’ forwards). He recorded six goals, 16 points, and a +7 rating in 56 games.

Last season, the 33-year-old has taken a step back but has also had some horrible puck luck with three goals and 14 points in 53 games (but had a goal and seven points in his last 10 games). Hagelin has also saw his penalty kill usage decline from 2:48 in 2020-21 (which led Capitals forwards) to 1:54 (three seconds behind Dowd for the lead among Washington forwards) in 2021-22.

Hagelin has not played this season due to hip surgery in October.

The fact that he got an extension certainly helps this grade.

Grade: B+

Nick Jensen
Looking for more help on the penalty kill, the Capitals acquired the best defensive defenseman on the trade market and extended him for four years shortly after. Like the contract Kempny got last summer, Jensen’s was worth $10 million ($2.5 million cap hit).

Jensen recorded five assists and a +3 rating in 20 regular-season games after the trade but no points and a -2 rating in seven Stanley Cup Playoff games. Defensively, Jensen posted 26 blocked shots and 21 hits while playing an average of 15:32 of ice-time per game next to Orpik on the third-pair, including 1:27 on the penalty-kill. After Kempny went down for the remainder of the season, Jensen got more time on the top-pair with Carlson. Jensen struggled in the team’s seven-game loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs where he recorded no points, a -2 rating, a 43.32% Corsi-for percentage, and a 39.23% expected goals-for percentage.

While the deal seemed expensive when it was announced, the fact that Jensen’s contract was extended and gave the Capitals more depth when Kempny went down made it a necessary one.

Bowey has bounced around and has been on three teams since the Capitals parted with him. He recorded three goals and 17 points in 53 games in his first full season with the Red Wings but tallied a -16 rating and was not tendered a qualifying offer as a pending restricted free agent. He tallied an assist and a +1 rating in two games with the Chicago Blackhawks this season before getting dealt to the Vancouver Canucks, where he did not play a game despite numerous regulars out due to COVID-19. Bowey has not been in the NHL since playing just two games in Vancouver last season.

Jensen had a rough start to his first full season in Washington  Jensen struggled for most of the 2019-20 season as he was a team-worst -7 rating and had only four assists through 54 games until he was scratched for the first time as a Capital. He improved after that, equalling his point output from the first 54 games of the season in just 14 games and led the Capitals with a +8 rating. Jensen had an admirable 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs where he posted a 54.64% Corsi-for percentage.

Jensen improved further in 2020-21 where he tallied two goals, 14 points, a +5 rating. He recorded a 50.24% five-on-five Corsi-for percentage, a 53.58% five-on-five expected goals-for percentage, and a 52.5% five-on-five scoring chances-for percentage while averaging 17:18 per game, including 2:38 on the penalty kill in 53 games. After sitting three games as a healthy scratch at the end of January, Jensen never gave up his spot when he earned his spot in the lineup back.

The 32-year-old has built on a breakout season last year with a career-high five goal, 21 points, a team-leading +32 rating (tied for 18th in the NHL), 50.16% five-on-five Corsi-for percentage, 51.76% five-on-five expected goals-for percentage, and 49.82% five-on-five scoring chances-for percentage in 76 games last season.

Jensen has already set his personal best with 20 assists and has tied his career-high in points in just 53 games this season, where he has averaged 21 minutes per game (third), including 2:27 while shorthanded (tied with defenseman Trevor Van Riemsdyk for the team-lead). At five-on-five, he has earned a 50.5% Corsi-for percentage, 51.53% expected goals-for percentage, and 51.14% scoring chances-for percentage.

Grade: B+

2020 SEASON

Brenden Dillon
The Capitals acquired the 32-year-old defenseman in a trade with the San Jose Sharks to bolster a defense that gave up an average of 3.44 goals-per-game, the most of the 24 teams that participated in the NHL’s return-to-play plan, since just before Christmas.

While giving the Capitals a more formidable top-four defensive unit, Dillon recorded no points, a -2 rating, a 51.12% Corsi-for percentage, and a 54.44% expected goals-for percentage in 10 regular-season games with the Capitals and fit in well, giving the backend some bite to it. He averaged 20:02 worth of ice-time per game with the Capitals, including 2:40 on the penalty kill.

After signing a four-year contract extension, Dillon tallied two goals, 19 points, and a +15 rating while averaging 18:57 per game (including 1:47 while shorthanded) in 56 games. Dillon recorded a 50.40% Corsi-for percentage, a 51.56% expected goals-for percentage, and a 51.97% expected goals-for percentage at five-on-five.

Dillon was traded to the Winnipeg Jets after just a season into his extension for two second-round picks (one of which was traded to the Seattle Kraken for goaltender Vitek Vanecek a week later), a better return than the price the Capitals had to pay San Jose to acquire him.

Grade: B

Ilya Kovalchuk
The Capitals made the deal, which sent a 2020 third-round pick to the Montreal Canadiens, to add more scoring punch to the bottom-six forward group.

Even though he put up one goal and a respectable four points in seven regular-season games with the Capitals, he only recorded one assist in eight Stanley Cup Playoff games, arguably a disappointment.

Kovalchuk earned a 54.6% Corsi-for percentage and a 60.92% expected goals-for percentage with the Capitals. He averaged 1:41 on the power-play.
Kovalchuk signed with the KHL’s Avangard Omsk after the season.

If the Capitals wanted to add more scoring punch, perhaps they should have inserted center Travis Boyd, who recorded 10 points in only 24 regular-season games, into the lineup more. Instead, they gave up a third-round pick for a player that did not work out for them. Looking back on it, it was a bit of a hefty price to pay and unnecessary but he averaged more than half a point-per-game and did not have bad underlying stats.

Grade: C-

Daniel Sprong
With defenseman Christian Djoos struggling to regain his form following thigh surgery from the previous season and him stuck in the AHL, the Capitals made a one-for-one swap with the Anaheim Ducks for Sprong in a deal that has looked great for them.

Sprong was one of the Capitals’ most consistent goal scorers all of last season after not playing a game during the 2019-20 season with the team.

Meanwhile, Djoos recorded one goal, three points, and a +2 rating in nine games with the Ducks at the conclusion of last season but was lost via waivers to the Red Wings on January 9 and played this season in Detroit. EV Zug of the Swiss National League signed Djoos to a two-year deal on May 12.

The 25-year-old inserted some much-needed scoring depth into the lineup despite making league minimum. Sprong finished with 13 goals (tied forward Tom Wilson for fifth on the team and came close to averaging half a point-per-game (20 in 42) despite being in and out of the lineup.

His 20 points set a career-high while his 13 goals were one short of his career-best set in 47 games in 2018-19 with the Anaheim Ducks. Sprong’s 1.59 goals-per-60 minutes during the shortened COVID-19 campaign was tied for 13th best in the NHL.

Sprong was in and out of the lineup at times last season due to the Capitals’ strong forward depth and his lack of strong defensive play but the team got excellent contract value out of Sprong.

Basically, the Capitals inserted one of the NHL’s leaders in goals-per-60 who is young and carries just a $725,000 cap hit for free.

Last season, Sprong tallied eight goals and 14 points in 47 games but struggled at times, especially on the defensive side. Head coach Peter Laviolette regularly scratched Sprong because of his poor two-way game before Washington dealt him to the Seattle Kraken, along with a fourth- and sixth-round picks, for left-wing Marcus Johansson on March 21, 2022.

Grade: B

2021 SEASON

Jonas Siegenthaler
After Siegenthaler requested a trade to get more playing time, the Capitals dealt him to New Jersey for a 2021 third-round pick to satisfy his wish and make more room under the NHL salary cap with the trade deadline a day away.

With Chara anchoring the third-pair last season and Martin Fehervary on the way, it made sense to part with Siegenthaler and the Capitals got back a good draft pick in return.

After finishing 2020-21 with a 51.21% Corsi-for percentage and a 55.51% expected goals-for percentage at five-on-five in eight games with the Devils, Siegenthaler thrived last season with a goals, career-high 14 points, 51.51% Corsi-for percentage, 52.74% expected goals-for percentage, and 54.92% scoring chances-for percentage at five-on-five in 70 games.

While averaging 20:57 per game (third-most on New Jersey), including 2:49 on the penalty kill (second), Siegenthaler has already tied his career-highs in goals (two) and points in 49 games. His +26 rating enters Wednesday tied for fifth in the NHL while he has also tallied a 54.32% Corsi-for percentage, 55.17% expected goals-for percentage, and 56.07% scoring chances-for percentage at five-on-five.

Siegenthaler requested a trade but Washington dealt a top-pairing shutdown defenseman to a division rival (who is currently fourth in the Eastern Conference).

Grade: D-

Michael Raffl
The Capitals acquired the 35-year-old right-wing for more forward depth in the bottom-six for the Vegas Golden Knights’ 2021 fifth-round pick. After missing the first four games due to an upper-body injury at the beginning of his Capitals’ tenure, Raffl recorded one goal, three points, and a +1 rating in 10 games with the team and played well in a bottom-six role.

With two fifth-round picks in 2021 and since the Capitals parted with what is likely to be the lower one, that makes the deal better for them.

Raffl signed a one-year contract with the Dallas Stars as an unrestricted free agent after the season.

Grade: B-

Anthony Mantha
With a waning Stanley Cup window, the Capitals went “all-in” by acquiring Mantha but it came at a steep cost by trading Vrana and two high draft picks. While it is understandable they had to give up a second to offload Panik’s $2.75 cap hit for the next two seasons after this one, MacLellan overpaid by parting with a first-round pick in addition to Vrana. Though, there was less certainty to the value of a first-round pick in 2021 due to shortened seasons and less ability to travel and scout.

Mantha, 28, recorded four goals annd eight points in 14 games after the trade and became the first Capital ever to score four goals in his first four games with the team. While his production dipped after that with just three assists in 10 games at the end of the season, that was not because of his play or a lack of opportunities.

The Capitals were willing to part with Vrana, 27, because he was in the midst of a down season as he recorded 11 goals and 25 points in 39 games and did not seem to fit into Laviolette’s system. MacLellan saw a frustrated player in Vrana and wanted to satisfy his wish of more responsibility and more cost certainty with Mantha under contract for three more seasons after this season and Vrana set to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. He also had issues under both Reirden and Barry Trotz during their tenures in Washington and was scratched for two games prior to the trade. In 11 games after the trade, Vrana recorded eight goals and 11 points.

Panik recorded a goal and four points in 12 games following the trade to Detroit after recording three goals and nine points in 36 games with the Capitals. He was also scratched for five of his last seven games with the team before getting dealt.

The 27-year-old missed four months last season due to shoulder surgery in November and finished with nine goals and 23 points in 37 games (a 20-goal, 51-point pace over an 82-game slate), not bad but not the type of production the Capitals gave up Vrana and a first-round pick for in 2021.

Vrana did not play until March 8 last season after undergoing a shoulder procedure in September 2021. He finished the campaign with 13 goals and 19 points in 26 games (a 41-goal, 60-point pace over 82).

This season, Vrana has only played two NHL games (and had a two-point night in New Jersey in October) before getting placed in the player assistance program. He has been in the AHL since returning in December and has four goals and six points in 13 games but has gotten scratched in Grand Rapids and was passed on when Detroit placed him on waivers.

The first-round pick that the Capitals traded was used by the Dallas Stars on center Wyatt Johnston, who has 13 goals and 19 points in 51 games during his rookie NHL season.

The blockbuster trade has been disappointing for both sides as there have been rumors that Mantha could be on the block ahead of this year’s trade deadline and Vrana’s contract could be bought out at the end of the season. Washington arguably overpaid to get out of Panik’s contract, which carries a cap hit of under $3 million. Had one of them been discarded, Washington would have arguably won.

Grade: C-

2022 SEASON

Marcus Johansson
The Capitals wanted to add versaitility at the trade deadline with center depth being an issue over the past two postseason exits and brought back the 32-year-old, who put up three goals and six points in 18 regular-season games after the trade and two points (including the game-winning goal) in Game 3 against the Florida Panthers. While Johansson didn’t regain his scoring touch from his previous tour of duty in Washington (which last for seven seasons), he finished with an impressive 53.56% five-on-five Corsi-for percentage, a 55.7% five-on-five expected goals-for percentage, and a 52.13% five-on-five scoring chances-for percentage.

The Capitals did not give up any high picks to acquire Johansson and traded a player in Sprong who likely would have been a healthy scratch for them down the stretch and into the postseason due to his lackluster 200-foot game. In fact, Seattle GM Ron Francis said Sprong, who may have had issues in the locker room, was “a player they wanted to give back to us” after the deal was made.

Washington re-signed Johansson to a one-year contract after the season ended and he has enjoyed a renaissance season with 13 goals (his highest total since 2018-19 with New Jersey and Boston Bruins and he has accomplished it in five fewer games) and 27 points in 53 contests. Johansson’s average of 0.25 goals-per-game this season is the highest of his NHL career and 0.51 points-per-game is his best since 2018-19.

Meanwhile, Sprong was at first not tendered a qualifying offer when he was set to become a restricted free agent before Seattle circled back and signed him to a PTO agreement and eventually a one-year contract before the season started. He has already set career-highs in goals (15), assists (14), points (29), and plus-minus (+11) in just 42 games this season but has still been scratched on occasion.

Grade: B+

Johan Larsson
With left-wing Carl Hagelin done for the season after undergoing eye surgery, the Capitals acquired the 29-year-old to replace him on the fourth-line. The Coyotes retained half of Larsson’s $1.4 million cap hit for the rest of the season. After missing four games due to sports hernia surgery underwent in February, Larsson earned a goal, six points, a 55.35% five-on-five Corsi-for percentage, a 58.92% five-on-five expected goals-for percentage, and a 57.04% five-on-five scoring chances-for percentage in 14 games with the Capitals. He added two assists in the team’s six-game loss to Florida in the first-round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Larsson became an unrestricted free agent on July 13 and signed in Sweden in August.

Grade: C

CONCLUSION

MacLellan needed a few repetitions with the trade deadline before eventually found his footing. He acquired at least one defenseman in each of his first six deadlines behind the GM chair and could return to that philosophy this time around with the uncertainly involving John Carlson, who may not return until at least late in the regular season. They could also offload a couple of forwards (Eller? Mantha?) with their group overflowing into AHL Hershey. However, do not expect him to pay high prices with Washington’s core aging, a deep draft class in 2023 looming, and no urgent need to do so.

By Harrison Brown