The last NHL trade rumors have the Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals entering the market. According to Pierre LeBrun, they’re listening to offers for forward Andre Burakovsky.
The Washington Capitals are trying to get out of a slump and bring home the Stanley Cup once again. Even though they won last year, the Caps are committed to winning another title. General Manager Brian MacLellan might have to make some harsh moves to do so. According to the latest NHL trade rumors, they’re pondering doing one of those moves, as they’re listening to offers for Andre Burakovsky.
This report comes from The Athletic‘s Pierre LeBrun. In his latest notebook post (subscription required), the NHL insider noted the Caps are listening to offers for Burakovsky.
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The Capitals know how useful their young forward can be. They witnessed it firsthand during Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning. When the Capitals had their backs against the wall, Burakovsky came up huge with two goals to change the score from 1-0 to 3-0.
He’s always been a bit inconsistent, but the 2013 first-round pick has been struggling mightily. In 42 games this season, Burakovsky has just 11 points. He has seen his point total drop in each season since setting a career high with 38 points in 2015-16. Burakovsky has also struggled to stay healthy, missing over 40 games from 2016-17 to 2017-18.
That said, the Capitals aren’t prepared to fully give up on him yet. They’ve had injury problems this year, so they’d like to keep him if possible. However, Burakovsky will be a restricted free agent and he hasn’t done much to warrant a pay raise from his current $3 million cap hit.
LeBrun notes various teams have expressed interest in him. Burakovsky, even though he has struggled, is immensely talented. He has a ton of skill, which is hard to find in today’s NHL. Teams are hoping a change in scenery will serve him well. The Capitals are hoping for a hockey trade, which would give them an NHL player back for Burakovsky.
If the Caps can’t find a suitable move, they could always hang onto him. Burakovsky could be traded at the 2019 NHL Draft, especially if teams would rather part with a draft pick than offer a player for player exchange.
For updated NHL trade rumors, check out our Rumors page.