Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are still in Stanley Cup mode. They have Alex Ovechkin under contract for four more seasons and aren’t going to be content to just have him chase down the all-time goals record. They are going to want to be contenders in those four years as well.
They already have tremendous depth down the middle with Evgeni Kuznetsov, Nicklas Backstrom and Lars Eller. However, there are questions around Backstrom’s availability next season due to his injured hip. The latest updates have been more optimistic, but the team can’t be certain he is going to play.
So, will they look for a Plan B? If so, they could do a lot worse than Dvorak. Playing on a second line in Washington with wingers like TJ Oshie and Anthony Mantha is exactly the scenario that could see Dvorak pop for 60 or so points.
What would it cost the Capitals? They do have the 20th overall pick in the first round of the NHL Draft and haven’t been shy to trade first round picks in the Ovechkin era. That isn’t to say they are quick to part with their picks but they traded a first round pick last year as well as in 2017 and will do it again if the right fit comes along.
If they feel Backstrom isn’t going to play or is a huge question mark, they could pull the trigger on a Dvorak deal. The Canadiens could even take a little salary back to ease the salary cap pain in the short term.