Washington is desperately clinging to the opportunity to make the Stanley Cup playoffs in the final year of Alexander Ovechkin’s contract. To help the leader, the Capitals management may be hoping to get a star NHL player who is single-handedly carrying a disaster team.

Ideal candidate for enhancement

There is incredible competition for a place in the top eight in the Eastern Conference this season. To the disappointment of Washington fans, the capital’s club is not performing as brightly as in the previous regular season. The team is in seventh place, and the advantage over Pittsburgh, which is in 11th place, is only two points.

After the Christmas holidays, there was no longer any optimism about the team’s prospects. The Capitals alternate victories and defeats, falling further and further behind the leaders. The club definitely needs reinforcements, which will be difficult to find in a rather meager exchange market.

Fortunately for the capital, Rangers are failing this season. Before the start of the season, the New York team was considered a contender for the playoffs, but four defeats in a row threw it to the bottom of the Eastern Conference. This makes it more likely to trade Russian Artemi Panarin, who even in such conditions manages to score points in almost every game.

The forward, whom many deservedly recognize as one of the best passers of our time, is now in the final year of his current contract. Moreover, the Rangers management is in no hurry to renew the agreement. Panarin, with his incredible hockey mind, is able to stream perfect passes to Ovechkin. In this case, Washington will improve its results, and Ovechkin will increase his rate of scoring.

Apparently, the Capitals management also understands well the potential of such an exchange. According to authoritative Canadian journalist Elliott Friedman, Washington is among the contenders for Artemy.

Artemy Panarin and Alexander Ovechkin / Photo: © RIA Novosti / Alexey Filippov

Transition problems

It’s still not worth saying unequivocally that Panarin’s move to Washington will benefit the team. From the point of view of Artemy’s interactions with Ovechkin, there are nuances. Both players, to put it mildly, gravitate towards playing on the left flank and may end up in different lines. True, both are capable of spending the end of the championship on the right edge, where they found themselves more than once. It is also possible for Alexander to take the position of defender in case of a power play.

Naturally, the transition during the season requires the player to quickly adapt to new realities. High-profile exchanges often fell short of expectations. In this light, much was expected from the arrival of Ilya Kovalchuk in Washington in 2020, but this venture ended with elimination in the first round by the Islanders.

In addition, the likelihood of the exchange itself is still low. Panarin has a large salary, which needs to somehow fit under the “ceiling”, plus the price for a productive forward will be high. Washington management may not want to part with promising hockey players and high draft picks for the sake of a Russian. If you involve a third club in order to retain part of your salary, you will need to give something to them as well.

In addition, Artemy himself may simply not want to move to Washington, and the Rangers management will not be able to do anything about it. The forward has a complete ban on exchanges in his contract, which can only be lifted by himself. Panarin also loves New York. He chose this club largely because of the city.

Washington is far from the only option. The capital’s club has plenty of competitors. The same Friedman names Minnesota, Colorado, Florida, etc. as options. Therefore, a potential exchange could turn into a real battle.