ARLINGTON, V.A. — With the trade deadline approaching, the Washington Capitals have quite a bit to consider regarding potential moves, and one of the question marks surrounds the third line.
Washington's third line has seen its share of ups and downs over the course of the regular season, with the team looking for the right combination to ignite a consistent spark and some offense at 5-on-5. And though Ethen Frank's addition has helped, along with the recent change that put Andrew Mangiapane back on that trio, Carbery still wants more from that unit.
"I've liked it overall. I think it's been a little bit inconsistent," Carbery said, adding, "I think there's some room for growth and chemistry there."
When it comes to what can improve, Carbery said that that line needs to be able to shift momentum down the stretch, and also wants to see more from Lars Eller at center.
"Lars, I feel there's still one more step there that he can get to for us down the stretch, and that's what we're pushing towards and hopefully he gets to," Carbery said.
With 24 games left in the regular season, Carbery said that the third line will be a big area of emphasis, especially with the team needing offensive depth throughout the lineup and the bottom 6 needing to be capable of playing important minutes.
"I think all three of them are trending in the right direction... there's room for improvement because it's going to be an important line for us down the stretch, for them to be able to give us reliable minutes, to give us some momentum shifts," Carbery said.
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The Capitals could look to build on that third line with the trade deadline looming, as there are a handful of names on the market that could be of interest, especially when it comes to the role of a third-line center. All the while, Ryan Leonard could very well join the team later in the spring, providing another potential option there.
For now, though, Carbery is focused on working with the pieces he already has to get them to the highest level of play.
"My job and our job as coaches is to worry about the players here and worry about performing on the ice on a night-to-night basis," Carbery said. "We have conversations (with general manager Chris Patrick) every day about how the team looks, areas that we can get better in, areas that are strengths are ours. It's no different this time of year."
