The way the Washington Capitals have been steamrolling their opponents in 2017, it was no surprise to hear GM Brian MacLellan say he doesn’t expect to make major changes ahead of Wednesday’s trade deadline.
“This year, I don’t feel that pressure or that need to do anything,” MacLellan said, per CSN Mid-Atlantic’s Tarik El-Bashir. “We’re not going to mess with lines or defensive pairs. If we can upgrade on the fringes, we might do it.”
The Caps have already added some defensive depth, acquiring Tom Gilbert last week in a trade with the Kings.
Gilbert is currently with AHL Hershey but could be called upon soon after Matt Niskanen was forced to leave last night’s win over the Flyers.
(Update: Gilbert is unlikely to be called up. The Caps want him to get going in the AHL first.)
MacLellan said today that Niskanen is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, adding that it wasn’t anything “serious.”
“We’ll make sure he’s 100 percent before he comes back,” the GM said, per CSN Mid-Atlantic.
The Caps’ next game is Friday at home to the Oilers. On Saturday, they’re in Nashville to take on the Predators.