Rumors and shakeups after the Capitals win the Stanley Cup
On June 7, the Washington Capitals won their first Stanley Cup in their 44-year history. That day went down as a historic day in D.C. sports history as it is the first championship that a major D.C. sports team has won since 1992. Going in as the underdogs, the Capitals stole the show and the District of Columbia even celebrated on June 12, with a massive parade through the city. However, the celebrations won’t last long as the 2018 NHL Draft is just a week away. Take a look at the rumors and shakeups that could happen during draft time.
The Canucks First Round Picks
Canucks’ general manager, Jim Benning was the talk of the town during last year’s NHL draft. Many hockey pros believe that he landed the popular Vancouver Canucks one of the greatest drafts in NHL history. This year, he says that he expects to do the same. Benning spoke with a majority of the prospects at the recent NHL Draft Combine and says that he’d be ready to go if the draft was tomorrow. He’s prepared, and rumors suggest that he’s aiming for New York Islanders captain John Tavares. Although there’s no guarantee that Tavares will be a free agent by the draft, the all-star center would be one of the most coveted players in the field. He has had an exceptional season with 31 assists in 52 games and would make a brilliant addition to the Canucks. However, he doesn’t come cheap. He’s the second highest paid NHL player and the Canucks are one of the few teams that can actually afford him.
John Carlson of the Washington Capitals
Although the Capitals are having their fun celebrating their Stanley Cup win, their general manager, Brian MacLellan won’t be joining in. Instead, he has one of the hardest decisions to make. John Carlson, a nine-year veteran of the Capitals, is expected to become a free agent on July 1st. He is currently ranked third in his position and held a career-high 63 points during the season. Carlson will be looking for a pay raise when his contract is up and re-signing him could prevent the Capitals from gaining any other free agents. However, rumors are saying that the Golden Knights are looking to poach Carlson from under MacLellan’s nose. As the best team of the west, the Golden Knights could get a great jumpstart from adding Carlson to their team.
Corey Perry May be Traded
According to Frank Seravilli of TSN, the Anaheim Ducks have asked former Hart Trophy winner Corey Perry for a list of teams he’d accept a trade to at some point last season. Although there isn’t any evidence of what happened after, or if Perry gave them the list, it’s definitely an interesting rumor. Perry hasn’t been the same since he took home the trophy in 2011 and as the Ducks are looking to become Stanley Cup contenders, they may be looking to change up their team. However, Perry is owed $8 million over the next three years and it would take a lot of work to convince him to waive his no-movement clause.
The Washington Capitals winning the Stanley Cup took the world by surprise. However, after the celebration dies down, it’s time to get to business and focus on the draft.