Third Line Center Options for the Capitals

For the 2024-25 Capitals, there weren’t a ton of weaknesses in the lineup – but one area that did stand out was the third-line center position. Last season, the Caps gave up on Hendrix Lapierre quickly and traded for Lars Eller. Eller is a good defensive center and certainly can be useful when used correctly; the problem was that, at this point in his career, he’s more of a fourth-line line center. Having two 4Cs (albeit two very good 4Cs) in your bottom six is going to hurt your depth scoring, something which was clearly an issue for the Caps – particularly in the playoffs, where the team got exactly one five-on-five goal from that bottom six through 10 postseason games.

Back in the summer of 2016, now-team president Brian MacLellan traded for Lars Eller in what may have been one of his best moves to that point, giving the Caps a legit middle-six center. The team then ripped off three straight dominant seasons and brought home their first Stanley Cup. He was, in 2016, what the Caps need now.

What is meant by a middle-six center? It essentially means that you employ a player who is second-line center caliber (or even a low first-line) on your third line, enabling the third line to carry themselves – something that you can’t do with a bottom-six center, which the Caps learned the hard way this past season. It also gives the team flexibility, as the 3C has the ability to move up to the 2C position if needed. During that Cup run, when Backstrom missed eight games with an injury, Eller was able to slot into that spot with no problem until Backstrom returned.

So the question becomes what will the Caps do to fix their biggest issue? They have three options: find an internal option, sign a free agent, or make a trade.

Internal Options

Hendrix Lapierre was given the third-line center reins to start the 2024-25 season but he had a rough start and was pulled. In his rookie season, he put up 22 points in 51 games in limited minutes and he looked electric at times, but this past season he just didn’t have that spark, most likely due to playing so much hockey through the NHL and deep AHL playoff runs (he won MVP of the 2024-25 AHL playoffs after helping the Hershey Bears to back-to-back Calder Cup wins).

Lapierre still has plenty of skill and speed to bring to the NHL, which is exactly what that third line needs. If he can regain his form from 2023-24, he would provide the Caps with a good, cost-effective option – and since he’s only 23, it would hopefully shore up that position for a long time instead of finding someone who might only be here for a couple years. Simply put, Lapierre would be the most preferred player to take over the third-line center. 

The hope is that he can follow the Connor McMichael path and take a step forward next year after bouncing back to the AHL for a season. Including regular season and playoffs, Connor McMichael was a 0.69 point per game player in the AHL; Lapierre is 0.7 and is one year younger than McMichael. There are a lot of similarities between their respective development paths, and if that continues, Lapierre should get first crack at the third-line position.

Speaking of Connor McMichael, he could also be in the mix for that role. While McMichael has obviously spent most of his time (at least recently) as a winger, he has experience as a center in the NHL and even stepped into the 3C role in the final game of the postseason. It might have been too little, too late for the team at that point, but that line did look good in Game 5 vs. Carolina.

McMichael stated on wrap up day that he prefers to play center over wing, so it could be possible that the Caps see him as the 3C replacement. The problem with that is McMichael just had a career season, picking up 57 points while playing wing in the top six. It’s almost guaranteed that if he plays third-line center this upcoming season, he won’t put up that many points…and that could be a big issue for someone (and his agent) who is in a contract year. The Caps could, of course, choose to re-sign him at a top-six price and still play him at 3C, but that’s unlikely.

Basically, if Lapierre isn’t the answer at 3C, then it’s hard to see the answer being an internal option, which leaves free agency and trade.

External – Older and Affordable

If the Caps wanted to go for the Strome Monopoly, Ryan Strome is certainly an option worth looking at. He isn’t young (he’ll be 32 in a few weeks) but he’s a good middle-six offensive center at this point in his career. His defensive game is a little suspicious but on the Caps he won’t be so heavily relied upon to be in that position. He only has two more years on his deal at $5M so there isn’t a huge risk. The ask to get him shouldn’t be high either, so Caps can save on some assets. Plus, the content of the Strome brothers on the same team would be fun as hell. Strome should not be the first option, but he isn’t a bad option to explore should the Caps, for example, try Lapierre out again and he isn’t able to hold the spot. Looking at his card below, his “competition” percentage will be much lower if he played for the Caps, so his offensive and defensive impacts would rise quite a bit.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau has quietly been a very good middle-six center for years, both on mediocre to bad teams in Ottawa and the Islanders. The 32-year-old only has one more year on his deal at $5M, so it’s both manageable and low risk. He could bring a lot of speed and consistency to the Caps third line, after averaging 41 points per 82 games the last four seasons, which is just about what you want from your 3C. He’s not young, though, and he won’t provide any sort of long-term answer to the 3C position.

Charlie Coyle was moved at the deadline from Boston (where he struggled) to Colorado (where he played well), but reports are the Avalanche might try to move him for some cap space. The price to attain him probably won’t be very high as a result, but like Pageau, he’s on the older side (just turned 33) and only has one more year on his deal. That one year deal is nice in a way because it means you aren’t committed long term but it also means the Caps won’t have a long-term solution, which I’m sure they will be looking for, or at least longer than a year. Overall, Coyle is a fine middle-six center but he shouldn’t be the Caps’ first look. Like the other two under this list (Strome and Pageau), you only want to trade for one if you’re desperate.

External – Young and Affordable

The Caps seem to enjoy picking at the carcass of their rivals in Pittsburgh, so maybe they will go back to the Penguins for their 3C needs and ask for Thomas Novak. Novak struggles defensively but has great offensive impacts and that’s what the Caps are looking for in their future 3C. He’s still only 28 and has 1x$3.5M left on his contract, so nothing to be worried about long term. He started his first two full seasons strong in the NHL averaging 59 points per 82 games but struggled last season with just 22 points in 54 games. If the Caps want to do what they do best – take a struggling but promising player and get them back on track – then Novak might be the perfect candidate. The only problem is it means sending even more assets to Pittsburgh, which always leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

Pius Suter is 29 years old and hitting UFA at the right time, after putting up a career high 46 points in 81 games (26 was his previous highest). Suter’s new contract is projected to be at 4x$4.9M which is a fine contract…but the question becomes are his new point totals the new average or contract-year boosts? While his defense is elite, he’s not exactly a driver of offensive play, which is something the Caps need and should be looking for in a 3C. Suter certainly isn’t a bad idea but Caps should look for something more definite if they can.

External – Older and More Expensive

Ryan O’Reilly would be a great option for the Caps. He’s older, 34 years old, but still impacts the game at a near-elite level. Think a level below Patrice Bergeron. He’s still a top-six center and to have him on the third line would be an embarrassment of riches. Best of all, his contract is perfect: 2x$4.5M. Cheap and short enough to not be a burden as an older player. Nashville might want to try to be competitive next season before they start selling, so he might not be available now, and he’s certainly not a long-term solution, but he’s a great option if the Caps need to find someone midseason.

In usual Vegas Golden Knights fashion, they are supposedly looking to add a big name (supposedly Mitch Marner) and need to make room. Because of that, William Karlsson’s name has been rumored to be out there. And with just 2x$5.9M left on his deal, he could be a perfect fit for the Caps. Karlsson is a very good two-way center that can take on the other teams toughest players and still come out on top, meaning Carbery could really trust that third line, which he didn’t really all of last season. He is 32 but he still has plenty of left in the tank. He had a down year production-wise, with just 29 points in 53 games, but averaged 61 points per 82 games the two previous seasons, and has averaged 50 points per 82 games over his whole career. He’d be a hell of a 3C to add, and like O’Reilly, you’d deal with him not being the long-term answer because he’s that good.

The Calgary Flames are in an odd position where they aren’t contenders but they aren’t bad either. Like Nashville, if they don’t come out of the gates playing well then they might be sellers. If so, Nazem Kadri could be an interesting addition. Kadri plays that hard-nosed north-south game, plenty of bite and lots of skill. Put him on the third line and he should be able to feast. But he is older, 34, with 4x$7M left on his contract, so it probably isn’t appetizing to the Caps but wouldn’t count it out, especially if some money is eaten.

External – Younger and More Expensive

As surprising as it may be, it’s sounding more and more like Marco Rossi could be on the move; if so, the Caps need to try and grab him. He’s only 23, fast, skilled and an all around great player, albeit small at 5’9”. His new RFA contract is predicted as either 2x$4.5M or 7x$7.3M, both of which the Caps could afford. The issue is the price to acquire him. If Rossi is truly available, the price will be high with lots of bidders. The Caps have the prospects to get it done; the issue is the Wild will want players that can help them now, which the Caps may not want to move, particularly if the ask is someone like Connor McMichael. If the Caps could somehow pull it off, though, being able to ice Dubois-Strome-Rossi-Dowd as your center depth would make them incredibly deadly. 

Mason McTavish is a hard-working, net-driving center who plays a heavy, quick game, but also has plenty of skill to go along with the grind. It isn’t 100% that he is available but there have been murmurs. McTavish is only 22 and just had a career year putting up 52 points in 76 games last season, which was second best on the team. If the Ducks want to move him it will probably be for a good NHL player now, instead of picks/prospects. Are the Caps ready to pay that price for McTavish? If they are, he would be a stellar addition that could make an impact for years to come. Bonus: he’s a third overall pick; the Caps have had some luck recently with reclamation projects selected in that same spot (hello there, Dylan Strome and Pierre-Luc Dubois).

In arguably the quietest market (first Arizona and now Utah), Nick Schmaltz has always been quietly great. Always a strong possession player who has averaged over 58 points a season the last four years, being able to add him to your third line would be a blessing. He could be relied on at both ends of the ice (though his defensive game took a dip this past season) so he’s adaptable depending how Carbery wants to use him. He’s not young, but at 29 he has only one more year on his deal at $5.85M, so there isn’t a long term commitment (although paying a high price for one year wouldn’t be ideal for the Caps). Utah should be good but they were supposed to be good last year and missed the playoffs so Schmaltz might not be available until further into the season like Strome, O’Reilly and Kadri.

If you need speed (and the Caps certainly do) then Jared McCann might be your man. A speedster with great offensive impact, he’d be a huge add to someone’s top nine. The issue is he plays a lot of wing and the general consensus is that he is better there than at center; if he’s placed on the third line against less-tough opposition, though, he should be able to handle center. His contract is great with 2x$5M left on it and he just turned 29 so no worry about declining anytime soon. He’s averaged 66 points per 82 games the last three seasons. He’s youngish, fast, skilled and impactful; the Caps could do a lot worse with their 3C option. 

Another young center that should be THE Caps target is Ryan McLeod. He’s been an analytical darling for awhile. He has size, speed and has started to unlock his offense, which is bad news for the asking price. A great comparison actually would be 2016-era Eller, someone who would be a great middle-six center that you would trust to move up in the lineup. The issue is 1) McLeod ended the season on a heater, scoring 20 points in the last 23 games and 2) the Sabres paid a pretty high price (Matt Savoie) to get him. Will they want to move him after just one season? If they do, the asking price will be high. The Sabres are falling apart, though, with reports of players wanting out…so it’s possible. He’s an RFA with an expected 3x$4.8M contract, which is great value. Is he the most offensively dangerous player on this list? No, but McLeod might be the best fit in terms of cost to acquire (not cheap but not through the roof), cost to keep, age, ability, speed and skill.

What do you think? Should the Caps give Lapierre a shot? Or should they pull a trigger on a free agent or trade replacement? If so, who would you prefer and how much are you willing to give up for them, whether it’s money or assets?