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The Washington Capitals’ trade deadline in 2023 was, perhaps, the most telling one of General Manager Brian MacLellan’s nine seasons at the helm of the front office. While the team dealt a number of longtime names, they received one that was likely unfamiliar to many fans.
As part of my contribution to the NoVa Caps Round Table on the pending offseason for the Washington Capitals and General Manager Brian MacLellan, I suggested the team extend defenseman Rasmus Sandin to a substantial deal. On a number of fronts, doing so would be a significant move for the team.
Capitals’ GM Brian MacLellan’s Annual Report Card For 2022-23
At just 23-years old, Sandin has not yet reached what many consider to be the prime years of an NHL player’s career (somewhere between 26-29 in many cases) and his play thus far with Washington was nothing but impressive. In his first 19 Games Played as a member of the Capitals, the former first-round draft pick recorded 15 Points (three goals, 12 Assists) while taking on a career-high 22:59 of ice time a night (this even after the return of John Carlson from injury).
On the defensive side, Sandin finished his nineteen games in DC with a minus-7 rating, although he was a plus-3 on the season as a whole, and finished his first stretch in D.C. with a Fenwick For% of 45.50 (although finished with 51.1 on the season). While a number of key metrics compare negatively to that of his time with Toronto, when looking at the standings position of the two clubs at the conclusion of the regular season, it should be expected that Sandin’s numbers were to take a dip.
With a challenging offseason ahead for the team, the Capitals’ focus is to get younger and faster while still maintaining a competitive team with a number of aging veterans. While the sample size is small, Sandin and MacLellan have expressed plans for the young blueliner to have a far more significant role in Washington, with MacLellan stating in his post-trade deadline press conference.
“We like his age, we like his game. He’s a puck-moving, skilled defenseman, he’s a competitive guy. A real good 5-on-5 player so far, gonna add a little bit to the power play. There’s upside here…he’s going to get an opportunity with us to play higher in the lineup and I think he’s excited about it and I think he can take advantage of it. There’s only room to grow for him…we see a guy that hopefully we can build around going forward…that will play here a long time.”
While the Caps have yet to hire a new Head Coach, an inking of Sandin long-term would not only be wise on a financial basis (given the role anticipated for Sandin, his current salary of $1.4 million, and his play thus far, an eight-year deal in the range of $3.5-4 million per year would make sense), it would truly signify the club’s commitment to an effort of injecting more youth into the lineup.
At this point, it is anyone’s guess as to what the offseason will look like for the Capitals. While there is bound to be an influx of new and familiar names, signing what will hopefully be the team’s top defenseman in the future would be a step in the right direction.
By Michael Fleetwood