Rumblings: Third referee, Caps looking, Wild changes
So what do you do if you’re the 2-7-1 Washington Capitals?
Well, you start working the phones.
Sources around the league indicate that indeed Caps GM George McPhee has begun to do just that.
That doesn’t mean anything will materialize — the trade market hasn’t really got buzzing yet with teams too eager to move parts — but at the very least, the word on the street is that McPhee is inquiring to see what’s out there.
If he does do anything, I’m guessing he deals from his blue-line depth to pick up a forward who can help bolster a sagging offense that is producing just 2.3 goals per game (24th in the NHL as of Wednesday morning).
There was lots of buzz over the weekend when Vancouver’s one-two front-office punch of Mike Gillis and Laurence Gilman showed up in Washington for a game against Pittsburgh. But my understanding is that the Caps aren’t interested in Roberto Luongo, as his contract is too much to take on.
I think the hope in Washington is that Caps netminders Michal Neuvirth and Braden Holtby can snap out of it on their own. Given how well Holtby played last season, that’s not an unfounded desire.