Scott Hannan: Much Needed Toughness Added To the Washington Capitals Blue Line

In the months since the Washington Capitals were eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2010, Tomas Fleischmann has been involved in a number of trade rumors, and today, after eight months, he was dealt to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for veteran defenseman Scott Hannan.  

Hannan, a player of over 750 NHL games, is a hard nosed defenseman who will add a physical presence to the relatively young, inexperienced Capitals blueline.  He is an asset for the Capitals in their own end, and can be used as a shut down defenseman against top NHL talent.  

Obviously, Tomas Fleischmann is a talented young player, and it's always sad to see a guy who can put up 50 points leave town.   However, the Capitals addressed one of their greatest needs by acquiring an in-your-face type of defenseman, and were likely to lose Fleischmann for nothing at season's end regardless.  

Fleischmann, whom Caps fans affectionately refer to as 'Flash, is a free agent at the end of the season, and was probably going to be out of the Capitals price range, seeing as re-signing Brooks Laich and Alexander Semin are higher priorities.  

While Scott Hannan's salary is a hefty $4.5 million annually, it is a relatively low risk deal for the Capitals.  His deal, like Fleischmann's, is up at the end of the season, so Hannan is essentially a rental player for the Caps.  

The addition of Hannan takes some of the pressure off of Mike Green and the rest of the Capitals defense corps.  The 31-year old is a minute munching defenseman, who is remarkably durable, having never missed more than seven games in a full season.   

This trade is the type of move that indicates the Capitals are serious about a Stanley Cup run this season.  After remaining very quiet in the offseason, the Capitals finally addressed one of their holes in the lineup by adding an elite shut down blueliner.  

A former All-Star and member of Team Canada's World Cup championship team in 2004, Hannan has been a part of many a playoff run (mostly during his time with the Sharks), and his addition is a welcome sight for Capitals fans.  

While the playoffs are months away, the Capitals have made themselves look better prepared for a long postseason run by executing this trade.