Yahoo Sports How Will Capitals Respond To The Hurricanes' Rantanen Blockbuster?
The Washington Capitals saw a major opponent in the Metropolitan Division bulk up big time on Friday night, as the Carolina Hurricanes made a splash by acquiring Mikko Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche and Taylor Hall from the Chicago Blackhawks.
Carolina lost Martin Necas and Jack Drury in the blockbuster deal, but ultimately, Rantanen and Hall provide the team with major upgrades that makes them a stronger legitimate contender overnight; especially with Rantanen, a superstar who sits sixth in NHL scoring.
That being said, how should the Capitals respond?
Washington currently sits atop the league with a 33-10-5 record and is the first team to hit the 70-point mark this season. Offseason additions Jakob Chychrun, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Logan Thompson have been fundamental to the team's success, but so have the homegrown pieces.
Alex Ovechkin is chasing history and leads the team with 22 goals, while Dylan Strome and Aliaksei Protas have also both hit the 40-point mark. Tom Wilson is also in the 20-goal club, and Ethen Frank has been proving his worth in his latest call-up.
Despite the Capitals' strong showing, there are still areas that need improvement; Washington needs to find consistent offense at 5-on-5, and although Frank's addition has helped, the third line is still in need of a boost while the team needs some more chemistry altogether on the forward lines.
Per industry sources, the Capitals have inquired about New York Islanders center Brock Nelson, a pending unrestricted free agent who could bring a spark down the middle. Seattle Kraken pivot Yanni Gourde has also been brought up as a potential trade candidate.
Adding a center would certainly help, and the Hurricanes have made a statement to the rest of the league by bringing in a long-time elite NHLer previously thought to be untouchable.
Washington could follow suit and look to bring in impressive talent, too, but the team should also keep in mind that the current formula and locker room dynamic are working swimmingly, and upsetting the apple cart may not be the right thing to go.
Capitals alum Brendan Morrison pointed out on the latest episode of That's DC Hockey that the 2009-10 squad, which won the Presidents' Trophy and was favored to win the Stanley Cup, bolstered the roster at the deadline, leading to some tension in the locker room with the lineup in flux as a result.
Washington would go on to drop a 3-1 series lead in the first round and be eliminated by the eighth-seed Montreal Canadiens.
"It wasn't the healthiest thing to go through," Morrison recalled, saying that the attitude shifted a bit in the room following the moves.
The Capitals also have quite a bit of outstanding business to take care of, with them reportedly looking to re-sign Logan Thompson, also talking to Charlie Lindgren and Jakob Chychrun requiring a major pay raise if he stays in the District.
At the end of the day, Washington would be wise to take a look at what's available but needs to avoid going overboard and adding too many pieces. The team shouldn't fix what isn't broken, but at the same time, addressing key areas won't be costly if it's done right.
And given management's recent history of strong moves, that shouldn't be an issue.
