Capitals player who must be traded soon
The Washington Capitals are among the most surprising teams in the NHL this season. With 58 points from 41 games, they are the top team in the Eastern Conference and a near-lock to make the playoffs. So selling at March’s NHL trade deadline does not make any sense. But to land the biggest fish available in the trade ponds in a long time, Washington will have to give someone up. The Capitals should trade prospect Ryan Leonard as part of a package to land Elias Pettersson.
Leonard is one of the top prospects in hockey after his dominant performance for Team USA at the World Junior Championships. He was the MVP and captain of the Gold Medal-winning team to add to his great college career. While trading an NHL-ready player is a risky endeavor, there are few players of Pettersson’s ability who have ever become available.
The Vancouver Canucks are around the playoff bubble in the Western Conference but that is far from the top story. A reported rift between Pettersson and JT Miller forced the latter away from the team for a portion of this season. And now they may trade both players to end this drama. Plenty of teams have checked in on both players but there is no team in a better spot to land Pettersson than the Capitals.
Pettersson has no-trade protection in his contract but it does not kick in until July 2025. So he has no say in where he is traded to and will be locked in there for a long time, with a contract that runs through 2032. But the Capitals are a good team to latch on with, considering their star coach Spencer Carbury and Alexander Ovechkin’s goal chase should lead to a lot of national television games.
The Capitals trading Ryan Leonard is risky business
The World Juniors are the biggest showcase for NHL prospects every year. Having a great tournament can lead to big NHL expectations and even bigger careers. Just look at Connor Bedard, who broke the tournament’s rookie scoring record with number-one-pick expectations coming in. Leonard didn’t reach that level, but showed he can be a difference-maker at center.
Trading prospects in any sport is risky for both sides. You may end up being the Chicago White Sox and trading Fernando Tatis Jr or be the Oilers who bet on prospects when trading Wayne Gretzky that never panned out. Leonard seems like a sure thing but won’t provide the scoring touch that Pettersson does to this Washington Capitals team.
In a weak Eastern Conference, this may be the best chance the Capitals have to make it back to the Stanley Cup Final with Alexander Ovechkin. He is 38 years old, closing in on the all-time goals record, and nearing retirement. No one expected this team, especially their goaltending, to be this good. That is why this should be a buying deadline for the Capitals.
The business of each NHL team is important to remember when looking at the trade deadline. Capitals and Wizards owner Ted Leonsis just agreed to pay millions for arena renovations. The basketball team is terrible, so bringing playoff gate from the hockey team is important for the books of Monumental Sports, the holding group that owns the teams.
Pettersson will sell jerseys immediately, help them win playoff rounds, and be a star for a long time. Leonard could do the same, but the immediate impact of Pettersson would be much better. It would also cost a first-round pick to land him in Washington, but it should be no issue making this trade.
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