Entering the All-Star break, the Washington Capitals remain in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division and hold the top spot in the Eastern Conference Wild Card race with a 27-20-6 record and 60 points. The Capitals have been able to hold their own throughout the season even though they have been battling injury after injury.
One of the major injuries the Capitals have been dealing with is the upper-body injury to defenseman John Carlson who took a puck to the face prior to the NHL’s holiday break in December. It appears the Cpaitlas will be without their top defenseman for the foreseeable future, as he is set to be reevaluated at the end of March. Montreal Canadiens’ defender Joel Edmundson has been linked to the Capitals by Marc-Antoine Godin, saying he may be a good fit. Due to this news, the Capitals are expected to make a significant addition to their blue line by the March 3rd trade deadline.
Edmundson is one of the hottest defenseman names on the market this season, as multiple teams have also shown interest in him. There is the issue of the Canadiens seeming to be reluctant to trade him, but with it apparent they are not ready to contend this season, or in the coming years, it may do them more good to get a first-round pick or more from their veteran.
While Edmundson won’t bring all the same elements the Capitals lost with Carlson, he is still a top-four defenseman that will only benefit the team. Acquiring Edmundson would give Washington some security and knowledge going into the offseason, with only one defenseman signed past this season.
Edmundson is a defensive defenseman who ranks fourth among Canadiens’defenseman in average time on ice but first in block shots on the team. While offense may not be his strong suit, he has shown he can chip in 15 to 20 points from the blueline in previous seasons. The 29-year-old veteran is signed through the 2023-24 season and carries a $3.5 million cap hit.
With his age, skill, and contract, it is clear Edmundson could fetch the Canadiens another first-round pick. With Montreal not ready to compete, they have the opportunity to acquire more assets to help speed up the process and get them back to being a threat in the Atlantic Division. A trade between the two teams would benefit both sides at this time.
The Capitals have time to figure out what they want to do as the trade deadline is still one month away, but one thing is for sure, expect general manager Brian MacLellan to be an active buyer at this year’s deadline.
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