The Washington Capitals are heading into the Olympic break with the same roster they had going into this week, as the NHL’s Olympic Roster Freeze went into effect Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET - and the team didn’t make a move.
That doesn’t mean the search is over. Far from it. General manager Chris Patrick has made it clear: the Capitals are still in the market for a top-six winger who can inject some much-needed scoring punch into a lineup that’s struggled to find consistency up front.
"For us, we view our biggest need as a higher-end skilled winger. Those aren't always available at the deadline," Patrick said back in January.
"When they become available, they become available. So, we're going to keep trying to pursue those guys if they're out there."
That pursuit will have to wait until after the freeze lifts at 11:59 p.m. ET on Feb.
- Until then, teams are locked out of trade activity, though certain roster moves - like waiving players or sending down waiver-exempt skaters - are still permitted under specific conditions.
For Washington, that means any players waived after Thursday won’t have to report to a new team until Feb. 17.
While the front office keeps its eyes on trade targets, the Capitals are hoping to get some internal reinforcements soon. Pierre-Luc Dubois, who’s been sidelined since undergoing adductor surgery in early November, is trending toward a return shortly after the break - a welcome development for a team that’s been grinding through offensive lulls.
They’ll also be monitoring the status of Connor McMichael, who enters the break listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury. McMichael has been a key piece in Washington’s middle-six this season, and his absence has been felt.
There was a moment of buzz before the freeze when reports surfaced that the Capitals had made an offer for Artemi Panarin. But the New York Rangers ultimately dealt the star winger to the Los Angeles Kings before the deadline hit, leaving Washington still searching for that elusive offensive spark.
The Capitals will close out the pre-break portion of their schedule on Thursday night at home against the Nashville Predators. After that, it’s a 10-day pause before they return to action on Feb. 25, hosting the Philadelphia Flyers.
Once the freeze lifts, the trade window reopens until the NHL Trade Deadline on March 6 at 3 p.m. ET.
Expect Patrick and the front office to be active. The Capitals are still very much in the playoff hunt, and adding a skilled winger could be the difference between a first-round exit and a legitimate postseason push - not just for the team, but for Alex Ovechkin, who’s chasing another shot at the Stanley Cup in what could be one of his final playoff runs.
And as Patrick hinted, the right move could have staying power. Washington has a history of turning rental acquisitions into long-term fits - a strategy that could once again come into play if the right winger becomes available.
For now, the Capitals wait. But the second half of the season - and the trade market - is about to heat up.