Washington Capitals, Toronto Maple Leafs Next Trade on the Table?

Could the Washington Capitals be the right pony on the merry-go-round of speculation that surrounds Leafs defenseman Tomas Kaberle?

The Washington Capitals are stocked with players and have 5.836 million in cap space to manoeuvre with while sitting atop the Eastern Conference and embed in one of their best runs of the season.

The Capitals star defenseman Mike Green though serving a suspension for an elbow on Florida’s Michael Frolic is also nursing a sore knee from the same game in which he and Dmitri Kulikov got tangled during a clean hit.

He was skating lightly and isn’t expected to miss an extended period of time.

Kaberle could be the perfect fit for the Captials, he could feed Green on the power play and set up sniper Alexander Ovechkin.

Kaberle’s first pass out of the defensive zone is one of the best in the NHL, and feeding players like Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, and Niklas Backstrom on the fly would make them all the more dangerous.

He would add to the veteran presence in the dressing room of Brendan Morrison, Mike Knuble and on the back end Brian Pothier.

Washington could easily afford a first round pick which is what I am sure Burke is looking for along with a prospect and perhaps another player.

Buried down in the minors is 28 year old centre Alexandre Giroux not a young man by any means and has been a career AHLer aside from a few handshakes up in the NHL. He played one game with the Rangers and 30 games with the Capitals.

Giroux has had three one hundred plus point seasons down in the AHL. In 2008-2009 he had 60 goals and 37 assists for 97 points and this season has 26 goals and 40 assists for 66 points in 38 games both seasons with the Hershey Bears.

Toronto is looking for a play making center and Giroux has always put up good number yet hasn’t been able to crack an NHL line-up.

Washington has a number of young RFA’s who’s contracts are up at the end of this season such as Backstrom, Eric Fehr, Boyd Gordon, and Thomas Fleishman all who I would think they would want to resign.

Kaberle coupled with a later round pick could bring a guy like Alexandre Giroux a first round pick and perhaps a Gordon or a Fehr as I don’t expect Washington is ready to part with Backstrom or Fleishman.

This move could solidify Washington’s playoff success and could be the piece that brings them eventually to drink from the Stanley Cup.

Toronto would be getting back a late first round pick a capable centre man and a young NHL ready forward.

Does Washington want to dance? I am sure Burke is making calls, while his phone is ringing in Toronto, who ends up on the other end ready to deal is questionable but Washington may want to tango.  

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