The NHL trade deadline has come and gone (quietly), and now it’s time to play some hockey. The rival Pittsburgh Penguins come to town Tuesday night to face the Washington Capitals.
With the roster now all-but-set (injured Carlson) and a 16 point lead over the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers, the Caps will treat the remaining 21 games as playoff preparation.
This trade deadline was a unique one for Capitals GM Brian MacLellan, as he was very content with the team’s top nine forwards and top six defensemen and had very little cap space to work with.