Erat Eyes Capitals Exit Door

Martin Erat is set to leave the Washington Capitals just months after joining the team from the Nashville Predators.

Forward Erat made the switch to the Capitals along with fourth-line center Michael Latta at the 2013 NHL Trade Deadline in April, with the highly-rated Filip Forsberg heading in the opposite direction.’

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Erat has no goals and six assists in 23 games for the Capitals this season. He has been unhappy with the amount of time he has had out on the ice.

“Since day one, I didn’t get the chance here,” the Czech said this week. “I got traded here to be a top-six player but never got the chance, never played more than 15 minutes in here, and it’s time for me to move on.”

Erat has a full no-movement clause in his contract but that is not expected to stand in his way.

Capitals general manager George McPhee said Erat has been “flexible” and “accommodating” in terms of the teams he would be interested in joining. McPhee has already held discussions with some teams but would not put a timescale on a move.

“He’s been professional, he came in and he’s not pointing fingers or anything like that,” said McPhee. “No promises on when it happens. We’ll see how long it takes.”

Erat was brought in to help Washington’s playoff push last season in the Unibet betting odds. He played 13 games but only managed one goal and two assists.

McPhee insisted it was the right deal for the Capitals at the time to give them the best chance of winning the Stanley Cup.

“You can’t have the guys work their guts out all year and then not help them out at the deadline if there’s something there to help them with, so we made that deal. No regrets,” he added.

“We did what we had to do then and we’ll do what we have to do now.”