Could Capitals Take Advantage Of Reportedly 'Relatively Thin' Center Market As Trade Deadline Looms?

The Capitals could use their center depth to generate a potentially more significant return.

The Washington Capitals are still in an uncertain spot when it comes to their approach to the pending 2024 NHL Trade Deadline, but they could have the upper hand when March 8 comes around, thanks to their depth down the middle.

Per TSN's Darren Dreger, the market for centers is "relatively thin" going into the deadline, and even more so with Elias Lindholm heading to the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday. As a result, Washington could take advantage when it comes to the deadline.

The Capitals are currently seven points out of a Wild Card spot at the All-Star break and will have to hit the ground running once things start back up to get back into the thick of the playoff race.

If they're selling come deadline time, they'll reportedly receive quite a few calls on Nic Dowd, per The Daily Faceoff. Dowd has one year left on his deal at $1.3 million, and his work ethic and production have made him a hot commodity. Whether or not D.C. will move him again likely depends on the team's place in the standings, but given the lack of a market for centers, he could bring in a bigger return.

One also has to wonder if a smaller market for centers could lead a team to take a flyer on Evgeny Kuznetsov, whose future in D.C. remains uncertain amid more inconsistency and his inability to replicate the success he had just a few years back. He has one year left on his deal after this at $7.8 million, so it wouldn't be an easy contract to move, but perhaps with a thinner market, a team would be interested in his talent and want to take a chance on him. That's just speculation, though.

At the end of the day, the Capitals have assets if they elect to sell, and a thinner market could mean a bigger return as Washington ponders looking toward the future.