The Washington Capitals have a long way to go before they can be considered Stanley Cup contenders again. They struggled in the 2022-23 season and missed the postseason by a long shot, and while earning themselves a high selection at the 2023 NHL Entry Draft was a nice consolation prize, they will want to be back in the playoff picture sooner rather than later.
The Capitals’ tentative lineup looks solid heading into the 2023-24 season with the new additions of Max Pacioretty and Matthew Phillips through free agency, and the acquisition of Joel Edmundson from the Montreal Canadiens earlier this summer. They still have some weak spots that don’t quite compare to their counterparts within their own division, and still may not have the strength needed to make the playoffs out of the Metropolitan.
One name that many fans are waiting to hear a decision from is former Boston Bruins forward David Krejci, who didn’t re-sign with the team after last year’s record-setting season. He is a solid veteran presence that Bruins fans have loved for a number of seasons, but if he chooses not to rejoin them, the Capitals should pursue him in hopes of strengthening their center depth. With Evgeny Kuznetsov likely on his way out, they’ll need to find a replacement. Krejci is a guy who can play a top-six role and be trusted to provide offensively while playing a solid defensive game.
Who Is Krejci & Where Does He Fit With the Capitals?
Krejci is a 37-year-old right-shot centreman from Sternberk, Czechia. He has spent his entire NHL career with the Bruins since being drafted by them in the second round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft at 63rd overall. He played his junior career in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with the Gatineau Olympiques where he scored 49 goals and added 95 assists for 144 points through 117 games over two seasons which comes out to a 1.23 points per game average.
Since the 2006-07 season, there has only been one season Krejci hasn’t spent with the Bruins. It was the 2021-22 season when he played in Czechia with HC Olomuc as an alternate captain scoring 20 goals and adding 26 assists for 46 points through 51 games. Over 16 total seasons with the Bruins, he has scored 231 goals and added 555 assists for 786 points through 1,032 games which comes out to a 0.76 points per game average. He has established himself as one of the most elite two-way centremen in the world and has been a huge part of the Bruins’ success in recent seasons.
Krejci would fit into the middle six of the Capitals’ lineup assuming no other trades occur. There would be some line juggling required to make it work, but they shouldn’t turn down the opportunity to bring him in if it arises. Assuming Kuznetsov gets traded prior to the start of the season and the Caps free up some extra money, they could utilize him as a second-line center and power-play specialist alongside Alex Ovechkin.
He not only strengthens the team offensively, but he adds a significant amount of value as a strong man in the faceoff circle. He’s also good defensively and doesn’t go searching for goals, he lets them come to him. He would be a fantastic addition to the Caps’ lineup, and one they should really look into making happen.
How Do the Capitals Make It Work?
The Capitals don’t have a ton of money to spend. If Krejci is willing to take a pay cut and join the team, then it would be the steal of the decade, however, I don’t expect that to be the case. I would assume if the Capitals thought they had a chance, they would speed up the process on a Kuznetsov trade, and attempt to free up some cap space with the return they get. If they’re able to free up at least $2 million, I think they could make it work.
I think this would be the smartest move the Capitals could make this offseason, assuming Krejci doesn’t retire or re-signs with the Bruins. I think he’d be willing to sign a one or two-year contract worth $2.25 million a season. He is a strong two-way player and one that would seriously increase their chances of being successful next season.
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