Opinion: Capitals' Recent Trades Look More Like Unnecessary Gambles Than Needle-Movers

Alex Ovechkin and Andrew Mangiapane Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

As the old saying goes, “the early bird catches the worm,” but when it comes to early-bird moves in the hockey world, you should always be wary.

Nowhere is that more true at the moment than with the Washington Capitals, which are making a habit out of trading for distressed assets that ought to make their fans wonder what they’re really trying to achieve next season.

The retooling process for the Caps began in earnest on June 19, when Washington GM Brian MacLellan acquired center Pierre-Luc Dubois from the Los Angeles Kings for goalie Darcy Kuemper. That transaction was enough of a gamble for the Capitals, but MacLellan went one step further Thursday when he traded a second-round draft pick to the Calgary Flames for veteran winger Andrew Mangiapane.

At the risk of sounding too skeptical, do those moves strike anyone as true difference-makers for the Caps’ playoff chances, let alone their odds of winning a Stanley Cup?

The 28-year-old Mangiapane has had one stellar season, but that was back in 2021-22 when he amassed 35 goals and 55 points for the Flames. Other than that, Mangiapane has never generated more than 18 goals and 43 points in any other season. And this is someone who is worth a salary cap hit of $5.8 million? Sorry, but we just don’t see it.

Similarly, the Kings gave up on Dubois after just one season. If you combine Dubois’ 2023-24 offensive totals of 16 goals and 40 points with Mangiapane’s numbers last year, you have a total of 30 goals and 80 points – more importantly, you have a combined cap hit of $14.3 million for the two players.

That isn’t exactly comforting for Capitals fans, but that’s the reality for the team in a very difficult Metropolitan Division. Their presumptive second line of Dubois, Mangiapane and veteran T.J. Oshie (who posted just 12 goals and 25 points in 52 games) is hardly the second coming of the 1980s-era Edmonton Oilers.

It all smacks of desperation. But while there’s a chance the trades for Dubois and Mangipane pay positive dividends for Washington, we’d argue there’s a bigger chance they fall flat.

By the time Metro rivals in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are done making roster changes of their own, the Capitals could be the second-worst team in the division.

For better or worse, the Caps are now locked down for 2024-25, and at best, they look like they’ve made lateral steps. The time to truly tear down Washington’s core and start a new competitive cycle should’ve been two years ago, and all they’ve done since then is tread water.

This column isn’t here to tell you Mangiapane and Dubois can’t justify their cap hit this coming season. But is it likely? Probably not. The Capitals have convinced themselves it’s worth the gamble to turn their games around, but we’re not at all confident such a thing will take place. If the Caps do wobble and fall out of the playoff picture completely – there will be no good excuse as to why they didn’t go the most tried-and-true route of franchise rejuvenation.

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