Capitals send Grubauer, Orpik to Avalanche; save up for Carlson

The Washington Capitals sacrificed two pieces from their Stanley Cup championship roster in an effort to preserve another.

Backup goaltender Philipp Grubauer and veteran defenseman Brooks Orpik have been dealt to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a second-round selection in this weekend’s draft, 47th overall. The most important aspect for the Capitals, however, is that the trade creates valuable savings on the salary cap as they endeavour to retain No. 1 defenceman and unrestricted free agent John Carlson.

Washington will gain at least $5.5 million in cap space from what it will save on the final season of Orpik’s deal, plus the difference between Grubauer’s next contract and however much they allocate to fill the backup’s position.

Expected to command upwards of $8 million per season on a long-term agreement, shedding Grubauer and Orpik could conceivably cover the cost of Carlson.

For the Avalanche, the 47th overall pick and ability to house Orpik’s contract (however that may only be temporary) lands them a goaltender who appears ready to tackle a larger role, be it in a feature spot or time share.

Grubauer took over in Washington when Holtby struggled with inconsistent play late last season, even starting the club’s first two postseason games. Though he lost those starts, he was critical to the Capitals nailing down the Metropolitan Division title down the stretch run, finishing the season with .923 save clip in a career-high 35 appearances.

This likely ends Jonathan Bernier’s tenure in Colorado. He put together a relatively strong season in support of Semyon Varlamov, winning 19 games.

Varlamov is entering the final season on his deal.