The Washington Capitals are struggling right now, just as they were at this time last season. Here are three potential trade targets that could turn things around.
With the trade deadline fast approaching, time is running out for the Washington Capitals. The defending Stanley Cup champions have lost eight of their last nine games, and while they are still in a playoff spot, run the risk of having to settle for a lower seed and tougher first-round matchup.
General Manager Brian MacLellan said on Monday that he expects the Capitals to be active in trade talks approaching the deadline.
General manager Brian MacLellan said Capitals are “active” in trade discussions. He believes there are hockey trades to be made.
— Chris Kuc (@ChrisKuc) February 4, 2019
This has become a bit of a pattern for the Washington GM since he took over from George McPhee in 2014. He has made at least one trade deadline acquisition each year since he took over, and has normally targeted depth defensemen such as Tim Gleason, Mike Weber, and Kevin Shattenkirk.
Last season, with expectations relatively low for the Caps, the team was puttering on a bit as the trade deadline neared. On February 19, 2018, they had gone 6-5-4 in their previous fifteen games, and their grasp on the top spot of the Metro Division was loosening.
On that day, MacLellan pulled off one of the great under-the-radar trades in franchise history, acquiring Michal Kempny from the Chicago Blackhawks for a 3rd round pick. The Caps proceeded to win 14 of their final 22 games before going on that glorious Stanley Cup run.
What was it about Kempny that made him such a difference-maker for Washington? A brief look at his advanced stats tells the story: prior to the trade, although he had struggled to remain in the lineup, his High Danger Shot Attempts Percentage (HDCF%) was a very good 53.03%*.
This number means that Kempny was helping to drive offense and limit quality shots against when he was on the ice, a trend that continued even in a bigger role with the Capitals, a team that at the time was struggling mightily with their even-strength play.
Prior to February 19, 2018, the Washington Capitals were dead-last in the league in 5-on-5 HDCF%, even worse than the woeful Buffalo Sabres, with a 42.96%. From that point on, their mark was 51.94%, and in the playoffs it was 50.17%.
While it is unlikely that all of these improvements can be attributed to solely to Kempny’s arrival, it is inarguable that his presence made a massive difference. The Capitals have the talent to over-perform their stats-based predictions, but to have success they should at least have a 50% HDCF%.
This year, as I write this article, Washington is posting an HDCF% of 45.54%. So, they are actually performing better than they were at this point last season, but there is still room for improvement. What steps can they take to get back to that 50% line?
The method that GM MacLellan seems to be partial to is making a trade, so let’s look into that. Here are three potential trade deadline targets for the Washington Capitals that could help turn things around and spur another cup run.
*All stats on this page and going forward courtesy of Natural Stat Trick.