The Washington Capitals have one more game to go before the NHL Trade Deadline on Friday, and general manager Chris Patrick has quite a bit to consider when it comes to how to approach it. Washington is coming off a rough back-to-back loss to the Montreal Canadiens, but otherwise has had a strong recent stretch, winning three of the last four and six of the last eight overall. Right now, D.C. is two points behind the Boston Bruins for a tie for the second Wild Card spot and six behind the New York Islanders for third in the Metropolitan Division. There hasn't been a lot of help for the team on the out-of-town scoreboard over these last handful of games, either. A lot will lay on Tuesday's meeting with the Utah Mammoth, where the team will need a win to further show Patrick that adding to bolster the roster for a playoff push is the right way to go. On the other hand, losing that game and falling further out of position could mean that the team holds back, and potentially looks to sell. Patrick has been looking to add a scoring winger to the mix, and the deadline could see some new names emerge on the market that weren't up for grabs earlier in the season. At the same time, he is not keen on parting ways with his young players or prospects, and isn't going to go all-in for a short-term rental. That probably won't be the case regardless of Tuesday's result, as the team has a lot of faith in its future pieces. Recent play, though, has shown that the team is capable of making a push, and therefore, leaning towards an add could be the right gamble for Patrick to make.
