The Washington Capitals are going nowhere fast this NHL season, and they have an asset that contending teams could be coveting in center Nic Dowd ahead of the March 8 NHL trade deadline.
The Capitals are in something of an organizational limbo, as Alexander Ovechkin is working toward chasing down Wayne Gretzky's all-time goal mark and will be for at least the next season and a half to two and a half.
The rest of the Ovechkin-era core is aging its way out of effectiveness, meaning the Capitals are in desperate need of infusions of youth if they have any hope to pull off a surprise season while Ovechkin is still rocking the red.
Even if they don't have their sights set on that, they'll still need to be thinking about the post-Ovechkin future and acquiring as many assets as possible to get back to that contention status as soon as they can.
There are a few pieces on the roster whose contract situations make them possible targets for other teams at the deadline, and a rash of injuries give them all the more reason to sell even as the team is technically still in the playoff race.
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NHL Trade Deadline: Nic Dowd
Contract Situation: Expiring after 2025 at $1.3 million cap hit
Season Stats: 8 goals, 8 assists for 16 points in 45 games played
Possible Destinations: Edmonton, New York Rangers, Colorado
Dowd functions as somewhat of a throwback, but he's a true shutdown center, a role many postseason teams could be looking to fill before the deadline passes on March 8.
His offensive production is nothing to sneeze at for his skill set, but it's also not why any team would be looking his way, especially as centers have already been coming off the market.
The fact that he comes with an extra year of contractual obligation at such a low cap hit pushes his value up a notch, the Capitals could even retain some to make him even cheaper for an acquiring club looking toward next season in exchange for more trade compensation.
The Caps have struggled defensively this season, but not while Dowd has been on the ice. According to Natural Stat Trick, Dowd's 5-on-5 shots against per 60 minutes rate is 27.14, well below the team average. His goals against per 60 mark is even more staggering at 1.51, placing him at 17th in the entire league among all skaters with at least 300 minutes of ice time.
Goals are hard to come by in the playoffs, and adding a player like Dowd that makes them even tougher to find against your team is an attractive proposition for a contender.
He'd fit in well on any of the high-event teams who could use a heart-rate dropper to make some minutes less stressful defensively. Edmonton in particular makes a lot of sense in that vein.
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