Deadline Daze

We are on a Buffalo-bound plane as I begin typing this entry; the Caps start up the post-Olympic break portion of the schedule with a road tilt against the Sabres on Wednesday. Between now and then, the NHL’s trade deadline will pass at 3 p.m. Washington will depart Buffalo after Wednesday’s game, heading back to the District to open up a season-long five-game homestand against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.

What remains to be seen is whether the same group that boarded the plane this afternoon will be boarding for the return flight tomorrow night, and whether the Caps will need to prepare new sweaters with new numbers for any possible newcomers to the Washington lineup. All these questions will be answered within the next 24 hours.

What Washington does with its roster and its organizational personnel in the next 24 hours could be a reflection of what management believes its potential is this spring. The Capitals have salary cap room with which to make a pricey addition or two if the braintrust believes the team is a piece or two away from competing for a Cup this spring. But the Caps have also made clear their desire and intention to be a contending team for the long haul. Another thing; a lot of that salary cap space will disappear this summer when Washington must resign a host of restricted free agents including Nicklas Backstrom, Tomas Fleischmann, Jeff Schultz and Eric Fehr.

The nucleus of the current Capitals team was constructed in the days and weeks leading up to the 2004 NHL trade deadline. Caps general manager George McPhee made a series of stellar swaps to bring in the likes of Brooks Laich, Shaone Morrison and Fleischmann and the draft choices that were used to select Mike Green and Schultz.

McPhee’s peers around the league will be looking to make home run deals of the same ilk when they do business with the Caps this year. Potential Washington trade partners are likely to ask about the availability of promising young blueliners Karl Alzner and John Carlson and/or young goaltenders such as Semyon Varlamov, Michal Neuvirth or Braden Holtby. Giving up one or more of those players will be difficult for McPhee and Co. to do, depending of course upon what is coming back in return.

As always, the consummation of any deal will hinge greatly on supply and demand. Only a handful of teams have given up the ghost and will be looking to move assets. A few more clubs could tip in that direction. Several proven NHL players (defensemen Niclas Wallin, Jordan Leopold, Denis Grebeshkov and Andy Sutton and center Dominic Moore) have already changed addresses with just a second-round pick going in the other direction, so a value base has been somewhat established.

Plenty of available players remain on the market, and their value could rise or fall depending on several factors, including the number of teams in pursuit of the player, the amount of dollars and term left on the player’s contract, and the desperation of the potential acquiring team.

Washington boasts the best record in the league. It holds a significant lead in both the Southeast Division and Eastern Conference standings. But there is no such thing as a perfect team in the salary cap era.

The Capitals have allowed an average of 2.81 goals per game. That ranks 19th in the NHL. Of the 11 teams beneath Washington in that category, only one (Pittsburgh) currently ranks among the top eight teams in its conference.

During the life of their 14-game winning streak, the Caps climbed up to 11th in the league in goals against. They went 10 straight games in which they allowed three or fewer goals, and they allowed two or less in eight of those contests. In the half-dozen games since, however, Washington has surrendered a staggering total of 26 goals with 17 of them coming at even strength.

Stanley Cup dreams are not made from such numbers, so expect anything the Caps do at the deadline to bolster the team’s goaltending and/or its defense. Looking around the league, here are a few players who could be available, and who could be seen as an upgrade here in the District. Anything Washington does is likely to fall into one of two categories: a legitimate upgrade over a current roster player or the addition of some depth-type players to help withstand the war of attrition that is the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Some of these players are more “pipe dream” than others, but that’s part of what the trade deadline is about. In no particular order (I swear):

Goaltenders
Tomas Vokoun, Florida – Vokoun has a no-movement clause in his contract, which also has a year remaining at $6.3 million and a salary cap hit of $5.7 million. Vokoun has seen more rubber than I-95 during his days with the Panthers, and while he has little (11 games) in the way of NHL playoff experience, his .931 save pct. suggests he’d be fine behind a playoff-caliber defense. Obviously, a deal for Vokoun would involve both prospects and picks and conceivably even roster players, too.

Marty Turco, Dallas – One of the best in the business for the better part of the last decade, Turco has struggled the last couple seasons. But he has fashioned a .915 save pct. playing on the 10th best team in the Western Conference this season. He is in the final year of a pact (cap hit: $5.7 million) that does contain a no-trade clause. One caveat: he is a goalie who loves to play the puck, and one that would require a period of adjustment/communication with the defense on his new team if he does agree to be dealt.

Defensemen
Note: Leopold, Grebeshkov and Sutton were all averaging better than 20 minutes a night, and all fetched 2nd-round picks in return.

Joe Corvo, Carolina – He played for Bruce Boudreau at Manchester of the AHL, but I’m unsure as to whether that would be a plus or a minus on his ledger. He missed a couple months with a lacerated calf but is back in the lineup and healthy now. A free agent at season’s end, Corvo is a right-handed shooting power play guy whose 25:13 of ice time per night currently ranks 11th in the league. To me, the 10 guys ahead of him on the list (yes, Scott Niedermayer included) don’t seem likely to move. So if you’re looking for a workhorse, Corvo could be your guy. The injury might lower his price, but not by much.

Tomas Kaberle, Toronto – He has a no movement clause and is in the final year of a deal that counts a mere $4.25 million towards the Cap. One of the top puck-moving defensemen available at this or any deadline if he does make himself available. Will cost, probably a first- or second-rounder plus a prospect. Kaberle has had 40 or more assists in four of five seasons since the lockout and has already reached that figure in 2009-10. Plays more than 20 minutes a night routinely and, though it only seems like he has been around forever, just turned 32.

Dan Hamhuis, Nashville – The Predators’ Monday acquisition of Grebeshkov is seen by many as Hamhuis’ ticket out of town. Hamhuis is steady, reliable, proven, durable, young and desirable. But the Preds need scoring help. Hamhuis could move for a top-6 forward or as part of a larger package. He is solid and in his prime. If you think you could sign him to an extension, he might be at the front of the line.

Dennis Seidenberg, Florida – Panthers signed him for a song (one year, $2.25 million) last summer and he leads the Cats with an average of 22:26 a night in ice time. Florida signed center Dom Moore to a similar pact and already turned him into a second-rounder in a deal with the Habs.

Eric Brewer, St. Louis – Brewer is the Blues’ captain but there have been whispers that he could be made available so that David Backes can be installed as the new captain in St. Louis. Brewer calls the shots, though. He has a no-trade clause and a contract that runs through next season at a cap hit of $4.25 million. Brewer has averaged better than 21 minutes a night for seven straight seasons, but he also hasn’t played in the Stanley Cup playoffs in seven years. If he agrees to a deal, it will all come down to price.

James Wisniewski, Anaheim – Wisniewski is a right-handed shot who can play the point on a team’s second power play unit. He has averaged more than 24 minutes a night this season. If the Ducks decide to bail on the Western Conference race and move him, there shouldn’t be a shortage of suitors. He is in the final season of a pact that pays $2.75 million and he will be a restricted free agent at season’s end.

Pavel Kubina, Atlanta – Big right-handed blueliner in the final year of a deal that pays $5 million per annum. Trouble is, Atlanta is knocking on the door of a playoff spot and needs Kubina to get there.

Henrik Tallinder and Toni Lydman, Buffalo – Since we mentioned Kubina, might as well bring up these two. Both are reasonably priced (less than $3 million) and in the last year of their current deals. But both also play top six roles on playoff-bound teams. However, the Sabres are in a smaller market and they don’t spend to the cap. So maybe they’d move one or both. Tallinder is the guy who plays more than 20 minutes a night.

Anton Volchenkov, Ottawa – A guy can dream, can’t he? The Sens want and need to sign Volchenkov, a shot blocker without peer who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. And even if they can’t sign him, shouldn’t they keep him for the playoffs? Hmm. They did get Andy Sutton from the Isles earlier today. Just sayin. If Volchenkov is dangled, I’m lining up.

Forwards? They’re not really needed here but that doesn’t mean that one or more might find his way here as part of something larger. Raffi Torres, Saku Koivu, Teemu Selanne, Stephane Yelle, Colby Armstrong, Owen Nolan and Ethan Moreau are among a long list of forwards who could be on the move in the next day and for whom I have at least some degree of affinity.

One more thing, be careful out there. Rumors are rampant these days, and most of them are sheer lunacy. Earlier today, I was told that Vokoun was likely Chicago-bound, as soon as the Hawks could offload ex-Cap Cristobal Huet and his hefty salary to Toronto for Jeff Finger and his own inflated price-tag. Um, yeah. Does occupying $11.625 million worth of cap space on a couple of goalies sound like something Brian Burke would do? Not so much.

Think before you make something up. Try to have it make some semblance of sense. (Or not. That way, you could charge people money to read them.)

Anything from a tweak or two to a bold statement is possible for the Caps. It is also possible that Washington would stand pat at the deadline for a second straight year. My guess is the stand-pat scenario only takes place if the asking prices around the circuit are way too high for the players McPhee covets. The guess here is that we’ll have a deal or two to write and talk about by late tomorrow afternoon.