With the trade deadline fast approaching here are 3 Washington Capitals players they should avoid if they choose to be buyers.
The Washington Capitals are potentially going to be buyers at the NHL Trade Deadline which occurs on March 7 this year. The team is projected to make an upgrade at center but who knows what new general manager Chris Patrick has up his sleeve in his first taste of this as an NHL GM?
To make things easier on all of us let's like not trade for these three.
Patrick Kane
Some folks believe the Caps should trade for a top six winger but that choice should not be Patrick Kane of the Detroit Red Wings. Although he's a future Hall of Famer and won the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks multiple times he is playing on a wild card and playoff hungry Red Wings team.
The asking price could be high. And a team like the Caps who are way ahead of them in the Eastern Conference can't be willing to give up assets to another team in the same confernce especially with the playoffs starting soon.
Kane was a superstar in the 2010s and still is a popular player across the League but he's not Alex Ovechkin in any way, shape or form. And yes he has more Cups while on the Blackhawks but those were stacked teams not all Kane.
Gustav Nyquist
Gustav Nyquist currently plays for the Nashville Predators though this photo above is from 2019 when he was with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Trying to stop an Alex Ovechkin shot is hard indeed.
This season he has nine goals and 11 assists for 20 points but his trade value is low as he plays for a struggling Predators team who sits in eighth in the Western Conference with 45 points and a 19-28-7 record.
Nyqusit is described as a 35 year old veteran who plays a two way game and is in the final season of a two year contract that has an average annual value or AAV of $3.2 million. The one strength he has is that he plays center or wing but acquiring him at this stage of his career is a risk.
His production has been declining which could come with the age he's at in his career. It would also explain his struggles on the offensive end so if the Caps were to get a top six they should look elsewhere. Yanni Gourde of the Seattle Kraken isn't a terrrible idea.
Ryan Donato
We figured we'd end this piece looking at a center. Ryan Donato currently suits up for the Chicago Blackhawks and is 28 years old turning 29 on April 9th. He has 19 goals and 18 assists for 37 points. He's going to be an interesting trade chip on a rebuilding Blackhawks team that's certain to be sellers.
Donato has an affordable $2 million cap hit and is in the middle of a contract year. He is excelling on the Blackhawks and could reach 30 goals and 50 points for the first time in his career by seasons end.
Those numbers both statistically and financially are appealing but he could be risky come playoff time as he has just two points in 19 playoff games. Plus if the Caps were to acquire him and he ends up being a home run, the pressure will be on for Chris Patrick to extend him.
There's other players that need extensions. In our opinion Jakob Chychrun could be the next in line after the team extended Logan Thompson. Anywho, Donato might not be the best addition.
