Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Jason Arnott appreciates the Devils’ decision to trade him to Capitals

Chicago Blackhawks v Washington Capitals

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 13: Jason Arnott #44 of the Washington Capitals celebrates his goal against the Chicago Blackhawks at the Verizon Center on March 13, 2011 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Rob Carr

If you were to track down Jason Arnott last summer and tell him that he would be playing for a second-seeded, division-winning Eastern Conference team, he probably wouldn’t have been too surprised. Yet that shoulder shrug would probably change to some raised eyebrows once you revealed that he would do so as a member of the Washington Capitals rather than the New Jersey Devils.

Arnott found himself at a crossroads during the 2011 trade deadline, as the Devils were putting together an improbable (and ultimately futile) run toward a playoff spot. As courageous as New Jersey seemed to be, the odds were stacked against them, and the 36-year-old center wanted a chance to win another Stanley Cup ring.

Aware that he won’t get many more chances to go for the league’s top prize, Arnott and the Devils decided it would be best to move him to a team with a better outlook. The Capitals ended up being the right fit, as they hoped that the veteran of 17 seasons and more than 100 playoff games would add some crucial experience to the mix.

That equation is working out quite well in his abbreviated month-and-a-half stay, as it seems like both the Capitals and Arnott are benefiting from the move. It’s nice to see that Arnott appreciates the gesture by the Devils, something he discussed with beat writer Tom Gulitti.

Arnott covered quite a few issues in the story, with perhaps the most interesting tidbits involving Alex Ovechkin and Michelle Obama.

Arnott is trying to make the most of the chance he’s been given. He has spent a lot of time getting to know Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin since the trade.

They’ve been out to dinner a few times and one time, when Arnott’s wife, Dina, happened to be in town (she and their two children are still living in New Jersey), they happened to dine in the same restaurant as First Lady Michelle Obama. The First Lady was kind enough to stop by their table – at the outgoing Ovechkin’s request – and both got their photos take with her.

In addition to Ovechkin’s extroverted personality, Arnott has also come to see how much the two-time Hart Trophy winner’s wants to win the Stanley Cup.

“He’s just a star player that really wants to win,” Arnott said. “This is the one thing he wants to do. He’s won enough trophies for himself. I think he’d put all of that stuff (aside) if he would win that Cup. So it goes a long way to show a star player like that wants to win as badly as he does.”

If Game 1 was any indication, the Capitals seem willing to expend the elbow grease necessary to win it all. Perhaps Arnott can impart some more experience-based advice along the way to help them do just that.