So here we are in President's Trophy position. But the playoffs are another matter.
We made a move for Eller to try to solve the 3rd line problem. It seems to have worked out Meh so far.
Now other clubs are starting to make moves - Carolina of course just made a huge trade.
Do we do more, or do we stand pat? Astoundingly, our defense is now occupying the league's top spot - I'd be surprised if anything is done there. The goaltending has shown itself this year to be among the league's best. I don't think anything could be done there without upsetting team chemistry, even if one wanted to do something. That leaves the forwards, who have been somewhat erratic OFFENSIVELY, but not necessarily defensively. The thing is, we have an abundance of players per se, but do we need upgrades, and if so, where? Because we have plenty of players, it probably means we'd look to, and maybe almost have to, trade away roster players to get somebody. When at least the teams out of contention are really looking to stock up on prospects and draft picks.
We face the annual conundrum: Does standing pat show confidence in the team, or does it show that management doesn't care about giving the team the best chance to win? The higher you are in the standings, the worse the conundrum gets, because you can get the blowback that you are messing with team chemistry. Plus, the way the Caps are structured/playing, there aren't any glaring weaknesses, which is what deadline acquisitions are best designed to address (as opposed to marginal upgrades). Heck, it might be argued that our #1 offensive issue right now is L1, with Ovie maybe dragging it down -- and we know nothing is going to be done there.
Now there could always be a significant injury somewhere, which would dictate a move. But what do we do if things continue basically as they are, and we remain around the top of the standings?