After the Washington Capitals dealt defenseman Dmitry Orlov and right-wing Garnet Hathaway to the Boston Bruins on Thursday evening, NoVa Caps provides a round-up for all of the latest rumors surrounding the organization and the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline, which is one week from Friday at 3 PM ET.
TSN’s Darren Dreger stated that Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun, who has three more seasons left on a team-friendly contract that costs $4.6 million against the NHL salary cap, is a player of interest for the team.
It’s clear the Capitals are hoping to reset on the fly. Jake Chychrun is a player of interest for Washington. Including the 1st acquired from Boston, the Caps have the pick currency to make it work. The Chychrun saga has been ongoing since Nov, 2021.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) February 24, 2023
The 24-year-old has seven goals, 28 points, a +8 rating, 50.41% five-on-five Corsi-for percentage, 48.36% five-on-five expected goals-for percentage, and 50% five-on-five scoring chances-for percentage while averaging 23:16 per game (including three minutes on the power play) in 36 outings this season but has not played since February 10 for “trade-related reasons.”
Chychrun, who requested a trade to a Stanley Cup contender two years ago, led NHL defensemen with 18 goals in 56 games during the 2020-21 campaign, when he also tallied 41 points. Arizona is reportedly looking for an equivalent of two first-round picks in any trade involving Chychrun.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on 32 Thoughts that he believes Washington will not enter a long-term rebuild and that their approach is that this season is not their year, they will have a lot of flexibility this offseason, and they will get more assets at the trade deadline. Washington is just punting this season.
GM Brian MacLellan has talked about contract extensions with pending unrestricted free agent defensemen Erik Gustafsson and Trevor Van Riemsdyk. Friedman said MacLellan is trying to see who is open to extending their contracts, what they want in their next deals, and if it makes sense for the team before making decisions.
Friedman added he is hearing that center Lars Eller and Nick Jensen (who can become an unrestricted free agent after this season) names “a bit more lately.” He noted that the teams who are following Washington quite a bit lately include the Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Los Angeles Kings. Friedman also wondered about the Edmonton Oilers as GM Ken Holland signed Jensen when he was in the Detroit Red Wings organization and traded him to Washington on February 22, 2019.
The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun guessed in his trade rumblings piece on Friday that Eller will get moved.
Lebrun also said “The Capitals are now actively listening on a number of their pending UFAs, but the impression I get is that they don’t want to do a total sell-off, either. There’s a balance they’re going to try to pull off between trading pending UFAs but also keeping and perhaps signing others. They want a competitive team next season.”
LeBrun tweeted on Friday morning that as late as last week Washington was still having contract negotiations with Gustafsson and Jensen, who can also become unrestricted free agent on July 1. They were struggling to re-sign Orlov, especially with term, before trading him to Boston. Friedman said that Washington was not looking to go beyond three-to-four years with Orlov, who wanted close to eight on an extension.
The Caps as late as last week were still having contract talks with pending UFA D Nick Jensen and Erik Gustafsson. Of course, they were also talking contract with Dmitry Orlov… wonder if they still try to sign Jensen or Gustafsson, or trade one or both now…
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) February 24, 2023
LeBrun wondered if the goal is still to attempt extending Jensen or Gustafsson, or trading at least one of them now. He could see Washington extending one of their contracts and trading the other before next Friday.
LeBrun wrote that “There’s zero interest in a rebuild with Alex Ovechkin around” and there interesting moves this offseason.
By Harrison Brown
(singing) Ch Ch Ch Ch Chychrun!..I mean Changes!
GM is busy and good for him. Hope he can navigate this week well and make the Caps different/better. Not sure if he lands Chychrun but it’s great that he is in on guys that would improve the team. Gonna be very interesting! I hope he doesn’t f*** it up! 😉
Lebrun has said Eller to Colorado is a good fit. For what that’s worth. I think Dallas could be interested, as well.
Link?
https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/2023/02/west-notes-krug-olofsson-eller.html#ref=home
This is a really good site. I suggest everyone bookmark it. They have very timely updates on most things. The discussion gets political sometimes though. Those on the right and left go at each other pretty hard.
Key from that article: “If I’m Washington, I call the Avs and try to entice them on a bigger package involving both Eller and one of their defensemen.”
Jensen is no Makar, but he could certainly help plug that gap.
If we sent them both Eller and Jensen, then I’d like a nice haul in return. Not as much as we got for Orlov/Hathaway, but a good take. 1st, and 2nd or decent prospect would do it for me. They don’t have their 2nd, 3rd and 4th this year already. But they may go all in, if they wanna defend that Cup.
Pure speculation, but one has to wonder what it would take for Sakic to trade Byram, given his injury history.
Eller to Dallas or NJ
If we end up trading that #1 we got from Boston in a package for Chycrun, I’m gonna puke!
Seriously BMac, he’s overpriced!
Kim, although I wont puke, but I would be very disappointed in the GM for doing that. Might I suggest a different trade to get Chychrun here; send Eller and Alexeyev and NAK or Snively. Obviously both NAK and Snively will not be on the team next year so one can get very novel send both! . That gives the Coyotes several more young players to add to their lineup. Chychrun and Alexeyev are only 1 year apart so thats a wash. In the end they get a D that they control for 3 more years, keep their draft picks and move a logjam at the forward an center spots.
The info I heard is Arizona is asking for two #1 picks +.
“Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan has expressed interest in acquiring the top defense target left on the market: Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun. However, Rossi relayed notes from sources that general manager Ron Hextall is opposed to the Coyotes’ asking price, which includes 2025 and 2026 first-round picks as part of the package”
https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/2023/02/east-notes-jensen-gustafsson-chychrun-monahan.html#ref=home
If it’s the Boston #1 and a prospect like Chesley or Johnson, I wouldn’t be TOO upset. I wouldn’t like it, but it’s not worth tearing your hair out over. But two #1s, and more, is ridiculous. Billy Armstrong must be snorting peyote or something. He’s gotta be high to ask for that.
We need more #1 picks, BMac. Not less. Don’t trade ‘em away.
Kim, We need every pick we can get and not more players especially if this team is in a rebuild or even modified one. The only way that I would trade either of our #1 picks at this point would be to move way up in the draft and the order has not been decided yet.
If you have any additional rumors we may have missed, please feel free to drop in the comments along with a link to source. Thanks!
Seriously who responsible for checking for the lobotomy scars on your GM & Owners forehead? You are lusting after a player that spent more time on IR than person who enters info on league website!! And giving your new #1 round pick for him too!
🔥🔥 Scott, just for future reference, who is your team?
Makes you wonder who the heck he thinks we are.
Bruins,who just inherited two former Caps,but it’s frustrating to see a fan base subjecting to stupid moves! If you’re rebuilding then do it with all you can. Why trade healthy player for often injured?
Did everyone miss this little detail ” Chychrun, who requested a trade to a Stanley Cup contender two years ago”. Don’t think he will want to come to DC
Maybe with the Preds without Johansen and Toronto without Muzzin the rest out the year GMBM can make some moves for more draft picks to pry Chychrun from Arizona
I wonder if Kuzy is available for trade. He has the talent to win the Conn Smythe on the right team. He has a 10 or 15 team no-trade list. I love Kuzy. Would love to see him go on a run on another team if we get the right picks/players back. Ovie might not like it.
Caps are positioning to be a Cup contender next year. they want to get younger and compete for a cup next year. Chychrun fits the bill as a 24 year old with term left for 2+ years. It’s a good move to trade Orlov (minus his 8 year extension demand) for Chychrun. There will be other picks to come and they may get traded at draft. Again, the goal is to retool and get younger this offseason to make another run with OV. Not do a rebuild for post OV. Who cares about the picks.
Someone with common sense
Eller is the last center I’d like the team to trade on the nhl roster
Let’s see, can’t score goals, but we need more defensemen? If Alex wants his record, and clearly that’s all that matters to Leonsis at this point, piecemealing isn’t gonna cut it.
The Caps don’t have the players, in the pipeline or onboard, to be competitive – period – but they are unwilling to pull the band-aid off and start the rebuild that has to come.
The Caps would get much better deals if they stepped back from the table and stopped trying to get pieces in the near-term that won’t benefit either the team or Alex Ovechkin.
I say trade Alex! It’s time. As with most Caps fans, I’ve loved every minute of him being a Cap, and who wouldn’t as a Caps fan? However, as a Caps fan, I want the team to win and really don’t care about Alex’s all time scoring record. That’s his personal accomplishment. At this point, Alex is more of a distraction.
Trading Alex allows GMBM to dump all those over-priced, over the hill, players Ovi insists on surrounding himself with, who have also become distractions at this point. It gives Caps fans a future to look forward to and stops this slow and painful death spiral they have been on since their 2018 Stanley Cup.
Anything less than a fire sale just delays the obvious!
Ovi will never be traded unless he requests it. So let’s concentrate on what other things the Caps can do to improve.
Not what most caps fans want to hear, but what you just said is the reality. As a caps fan I want to see a team that is fun to watch, and a Stanley Cup contender, as they were when Alex was young. I wish him success for reaching his personal records, but that shouldn’t subjugate us to many more years of bad hockey by the team.
What about Connor Brown? He was THE key pickup during last year’s off season – at least he was for me. Then the season ending injury that closed out his contract. Isn’t he worth resigning?
Maybe on a one year prove it deal. Will probably depend on what he wants and what he can get from other teams.
Do the Capitals remove the complete coaching staff?