General manager Brian MacLellan said that Washington still has some tricks up its sleeve.
While the Washington Capitals made a couple of phone calls and listened in on a couple of conversations during the 2023 NHL Draft, they kept things quiet on the trade front and prioritized prospects. That doesn't mean change isn't coming.
Now that the draft is out of the way, general manager Brian MacLellan's attention now shifts to free agency and the market as he is still intent on shaking things up after his team's disappointing 2022-23 campaign. And for MacLellan, those changes start up front.
"We're still trying to make a change or changes in our top-6 or find a way to create something," MacLellan said in his post-draft presser. "We'll see if we can make it happen or not."
MacLellan added that the Capitals did make a couple of calls about moving up from No. 8, but all teams were content on standing pat. Meanwhile, there wasn't a lot of opportunity to make these kind of moves at the draft, as converastions on the draft floor, for the most part, involved teams trying to create cap space.
The only trade Washington made was an exchange of seventh-rounders to secure goaltending prospect Antoine Keller with the No. 206 pick.
"There's a lot of chatter, there's a lot of frustration," MacLellan added. "It seems like a lot of teams have players, but no space and money. It's not really hockey trades that are being discussed; it's how-to-create-space trades. It's frustrating."
There are big questions surrounding the Capitals' top-6, with the biggest question marks being Evgeny Kuznetsov and Anthony Mantha.
Kuznetsov has been the subject of trade speculation following a disappointing and inconsistent season, continued questions regarding off-ice conduct over the years, a rumored trade request (though Kuznetsov somewhat denied this) and apparent rising tensions with the front office. There are two years at $7.8 million left on his deal.
Mantha, meanwhile, has not been able to find his rhythm with the Capitals and has just 24 goals in 118 games since arriving in D.C., and his inconsistency has led to disappointment, numerous scratches and a drop in confidence. He has a year left on his contract at $5.7 million.
Recent reports, though, suggest that both may stay; Mantha apparently isn't getting too much interest, and it's said to be a "long shot" that Kuznetsov gets moved.
Washington is projected to have roughly $7.3 million to work with in cap space and have to fill some voids. Connor Brown will test the open market, and it appears more likely that Conor Sheary and Craig Smith, who both took on top-6 minutes for the Capitals last year, will head to free agency as well.
MacLellan doesn't know exactly how many changes the team is in for, but he will explore both the trade market and free agency.
One contract is ceratin, though, and that's a long-term extension for Tom Wilson coming down the pipeline. He is eligible to sign a deal come July 1, and MacLellan again reiterated that Wilson isn't going anywhere.
"People make stuff up and throw it out there. We haven't had one discussion about him," MacLellan said, adding, "We constantly tell people we're not [trading him]."