Trade Deadline Primer: Washington Capitals

With the 4 Nations Face-Off now complete, the trade deadline looms large and is less than two weeks away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Washington Capitals.

Hopes are as high as they could be in Washington as the Trade Deadline nears. The Capitals have been on top of the Metropolitan Division since mid-December with no signs of slowing down. Washington posted a 4-1-2 record and plus-11 goal-differential in February, with one game left in the month. Their success is spearheaded by captain Alex Ovechkin’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s career goals record and backed by fantastic summer additions. After an incredibly fruitful off-season, this Deadline will be rookie general manager Chris Patrick’s first chance to carry the hot-hand into the season.

Record

38-12-8, 1st in the Metropolitan Division.

Deadline Status

Budget Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$3.65MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention spots used, 47/50 contract slots used, per PuckPedia.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2025: WAS 1st, BOS 2nd, WAS 2nd, CAR 3rd, WAS 4th, WAS 5th
2026: WAS 1st, WAS 2nd, VGK 4th, WAS 4th, WAS 5th, WAS 6th, WAS 7th

Trade Chips

The Capitals have found fantastic chemistry at the top of their lineup, and will base their deadline around not stirring the pot too much because of it. Most of the Capitals trade assets sit down their depth chart. The group is headlined by former first-round draft pick Hendrix Lapierre, who landed in the minor-leagues at the start of the new year after recording just eight assists in 27 NHL games. He’s in the midst of a slumping season after posting 22 points in 51 games as an NHL rookie last year. But Lapierre has been routinely effective in the minor-leagues, with 17 points in 21 games last season and 13 points in 15 games this year. He was a top young prospect, and earned a first-round selection despite multiple injuries in his age-17 and age-18 seasons. Lapierre has untapped upside that could make him enticing enough to base a larger buy around.

Young defenseman Alexander Alexeyev finds himself in a similar spot to Lapierre. He’s spent the year as Washington’s seventh-man, stepping into just five games and recording no scoring and a minus-four. Also a former first-round pick, Alexeyev punched into 71 games over the last two seasons – but hasn’t scored more than five points in a single year. He’s a six-foot-four, 213-pound defender with a long reach and stout control of the defensive end that, like Lapierre, could be just enough to garner the interest of a deadline seller.

Aside from the pair of youngsters on the lineup fringe, the Capitals may lack the assets to make a big move. Veteran centerman Lars Eller seems to be in the right rut for a move, with just 12 points in 39 games in Washington – but the Capitals aren’t likely to garner more than the third and fifth round draft picks they traded for him in November. Both third-line forward Andrew Mangiapane and third-pair defender Trevor van Riemsdyk have played strong enough to earn interest of their own, but the Capitals would likely be hard-pressed to move functioning cogs in the midst of another hot streak. Their deadline will be a balancing act between preparing for the playoffs, and not rocking the boat – as they try to maintain momentum that could very well land them the President’s Trophy.

Team Needs

1) Impactful Bottom-Six Center – Eller has averaged 12:28 in ice time this season, while holding a firm grip on third-line center and second-unit penalty killing duties. He’s performed well enough to stay put, but the lack of a driver on the third-line could be Washington’s downfall in the postseason. Finding a difference maker to couple with Eller and Nic Dowd in the bottom-six is an achievable and potentially defining move for Washington to pursue. They’ll have plenty of options on the open market. The New York Islanders finally seem poised to bank on Brock Nelson’s late-career performances. Nelson has 15 goals and 32 points in 52 games this season, and made Team USA’s starting lineup at the recent 4-Nations tournament. Should he prove too old or two slow, Washington could find a performer in the midst of his prime in Chicago Blackhawks center Ryan Donato. Donato is having a career year, with 19 goals and 39 points in 56 games on one of the league’s lowest-scoring offenses. He’s a reasonable upside bet that shouldn’t come at a rich price – an ideal match for the asset-strapped Capitals. Other options could include Montreal power-forward Jake Evans, Boston enforcer Trent Frederic, or Colorado upside-bet Casey Mittelstadt.

2) Depth Wingers – The Capitals are receiving fantastic efforts from their depth wingers. Mangiapane, Taylor Raddysh, and Brandon Duhaime have performed well enough to hold onto their roles, and Jakub Vrana and Ethen Frank have shown flashes of scoring in their limited minutes. But the Capitals lack a truly binding piece down their flanks. Bruins winger Justin Brazeau could give the Capitals a bit more grit and well-rounded offense at a minimal acquisition cost. The Capitals could also find a reasonably priced upside bet in Toronto shooter Nicholas Robertson. Brazeau has 20 points, split evenly, in 54 games; while Robertson has 11 goals and 16 points in 50 games. Neither players would be particularly thrilling additions, but could give Washington helpful variety as they hope for an extended run to their season.