Just when you thought the Washington Capitals could not get any scarier, they decided to put all their chips in the middle and trade for the best available defensemen from St Louis, Kevin Shattenkirk. The trade included Washington sending Zach Sanford, a 2017 1st rounder and a conditional 2019 2nd rounder. The conditions of that 2019 pick are as follows: Blues get that 2nd RD pick if Caps sign Shattenkirk or if Caps reach conference finals and Shattenkirk plays in at least 50 percent of games. As always with these trades, there will be a buffer period for Shattenkirk to get acclimated with the caps style of play and everything. However, a player top 5 in points among defensemen shouldn’t take that long to adapt.
Kevin Shattenkirk. Not a looker, but definitely a good hockey player
The kicker to this trade is that Shattenkirk, for now, is a rental for Washington. He becomes an unrestricted free agent after this season with the freedom to go anywhere he wants. Multiple teams showed interest in Shattenkirk including; the Rangers, the Bruins, the Devils, and even the Penguins. Depending on the results Shattenkirk brings to the capitals, any of those teams can be considered home for Kevin Shattenkirk after this season.
The Capitals have always been a good team, constantly in the running, making it to the playoffs. But that’s where the wheels always fall off, they have never made it past the 2nd round of the playoffs. Unless something terrible happens in the next month and a half, I find it near impossible how they don’t make it to at least the conference finals.
If you’re a team in the east not named Washington or Pittsburgh you have to be a tad nervous. I mean, c’mon, the defending Stanley cup champions or a new and improved capitals team that is on pace to win the Presidents trophy for a second year in a row? Talk about picking your poison. It’s never too early to get excited for the playoffs. Six weeks and counting boys! We still have until 3 PM Wednesday to see if any other blockbuster trades happen but it is not likely, at least not in comparison to this trade. Tune in tonight to watch see Shattenkirk’s debut with the Caps against the Rangers.
