As the 2022 NHL trade deadline draws closer and closer, the Washington Capitals are being linked to some pretty big names by some pretty credible sources. We give you the names – as well as what the insiders are saying – below.
MARC-ANDRE FLEURY
The Capitals’ heavy interest in current Chicago Blackhawks’ netminder Marc-Andre Fleury has been reported several times by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, among others. But reports have gone back and forth on whether or not Fleury even wants to be traded, which is kind of important considering he has a no-trade clause in his contract. But should he decide that he wants to move, you can bet that Caps’ General Manager Brian MacLellan will be there to help carry his luggage. GMBM is actually probably already waiting on standby somewhere inside of the Chicago airport, to be honest.
CLAUDE GIROUX
In recent weeks, we’ve heard both from Flyers’ sources and from the Capitals’ own Tarik El-Bashir over at The Athletic that the Caps have quietly been kicking the tires RE: the Flyers’ longtime captain. That’s probably the truth, not only because El-Bashir is a great/well-connected reporter, but also because it fits with how Brian MacLellan usually operates — which is in stealth mode, to say the least. No one ever knows he’s about to land a big fish until the moment he does it. Remember the trade for TJ Oshie? How about the one for Kevin Shattenkirk? No one saw either of those deals coming.
This one would make a ton of sense for the Caps for a number of reasons, including the Peter Laviolette connection from Lavi’s time with the Flyers and Giroux’s already well-established hatred of Pittsburgh. It’s really a match made in heaven.
MAX DOMI
Just last night, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman dropped another Capitals-related bomb as he wrote in his 32 Thoughts column that the Caps have interest in Columbus Blue Jackets’ forward Max Domi.
Domi would be a nice fit, as he can play up and down the lineup and at either center or wing. His career-high is 72 points, and this season he’s somehow a +3 on a Blue Jackets team that is collectively -20.
The key to any of these potential deals for the Caps – but specifically the ones with division rivals like the Flyers and Blue Jackets – will be not to overpay too much. We’ve already seen one player who the Caps had interest in (Calle Jarnkrok) be moved to Calgary, and the price was steep. Especially when you’re dealing with a division rival who’s already grumpy because they aren’t in the playoffs, you don’t want to let them squeeze you for more than they would another team.
It’ll be interesting to see what the Caps do at the deadline. They’re back to playing very well again recently and have not yet lost a game in regulation in March (5-0-1). What are you guys hoping they’ll do? Which of these 3 names do you like best for the Caps? Let us know in the comments section!
