Daily Faceoff Live: What if the Washington Capitals became sellers?
On Friday’s episode of Daily Faceoff Live, Frank Seravalli and Matt Larkin have some fun and discuss what would happen if the Washington Capitals became sellers in this week’s segment of “The Big What If.”
Frank Seravalli: What if the Washington Capitals are no good, and aren’t able to make the playoffs, what do you do? What’s the first thing you’re doing if you’re General Manager Brian MacLellan this season? For a team that last missed the playoffs in 2014 and has had a ton of injuries this season including some major pieces still out. Tom Wilson is still out with that ACL, T.J. Oshie is out long term, Nicklas Backstrom is out long term, Connor Brown is done for the season and Carl Hagelin may never play again. There’s a lot to unpack there but this is a Caps team, sort of a lot like Pittsburgh, that has guys mostly locked in, in terms of aging players and stars. What would you do first?
Matt Larkin: I love this question, Frank. It’s such a fun sandbox to play in and it is something I think Brian MacLellan will have to consider. This is the second oldest team in the NHL, we know that their contention window is sort of starting to close, they don’t really have a strong farm system which is a symptom of their success, they don’t have elite prospects so they need to start building for the future. I do think that there is actually some flexibility with this roster because they have some intriguing expiring contracts. Look at someone like Lars Eller, that’s a third-line center who can help a lot of contending teams. On defense you have Nick Jensen who I think is one of the most underrated shutdown guys in the league, he’s a pending unrestricted free agent, and you’ve got Trevor Van Riemsdyk. So, those are some of the appetizers, but if I’m Brian MacLellan I think you’ve got to chum the water with Tom Wilson.
You have two years left on his contract, including this one, he’s coming back from the ACL injury soon. His $5.1 million give or take is the cap hit and this is a player if you’re looking long term (if you’re Washington) that is the type of position, power forward, that doesn’t age well. You look at players like David Backes, and Wayne Simmonds, their play fell off a cliff as they hit 30. I don’t think it’s a bad idea to consider selling off Tom Wilson instead of re-signing him. To me, there would be a lineup out the door because he is a unicorn, he can play in your top six, but he’s got that nasty skill set. So, if he comes back, if he looks good in a month or two coming off the ACL injury I think you got to put him out there and put him on the block. You would get tons of offers for Tom Wilson.
Frank Seravalli: Yeah, it’s interesting you mention Tom Wilson, I agree wholeheartedly. The guy I was thinking you might go after is Evgeny Kuznetsov, would you make that type of move given where the Caps have been in apparent frustration for him at varying points in his career? It seems like he has certainly got his game together a bit, and certainly a much more dangerous player going back to last season and having a huge bounce-back year. But, I wonder about Tom Wilson, would you be selling at the absolute lowest? Given that yes he is a unicorn, yes the contract is manageable, and he’s a guy that you can pencil in for 20-25, and 45-50 points a year, but coming off such a major injury, would you not have wanted to do this previously?
Matt Larkin: Yes, that’s a fair question and I considered that as well. That’s why I said you need to give him some time back in the lineup. I think teams would want to see him for a month or two and make sure he’s looking good. When you play that style, it might take time to get your feet again and throw your weight around the way he does. So if he looks like himself after a month or two, then I think you put him on the block. There are so many contending teams out there that don’t have a Tom Wilson. They’re heavy in the bottom six, but it’s not the same as having heavy in the top six, playing bigger minutes with physicality. I look at the Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes, two teams who have fashioned themselves as contenders who need to get a lot heavier I think in the top-six.
You can watch the full episode here…