George McPhee sits alone in his room, a tinge of regret in his heart. The missed opportunity of trading for Martin Erat still haunts him, making him feel like he wasn't given a chance to save his job. Now, with the Islanders, McPhee wants to prove that the Caps were wrong to fire him. But after losing to them in seven games in last season's playoffs, McPhee watches highlights and says, "Maybe they were right. Maybe I shouldn't have tried to trade away Filip Forsberg."
What if the Caps never traded Filip Forsberg? This is part two of that alternate reality. If you haven't read part one, here is the link to that (https://www.bermanssportsblog.com/post/what-if-filip-forsberg-part-1)
2015-2016 season
While Dylan Larkin starts the season in Hershey, Forsberg becomes a rising star in the NHL, playing on the second line with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Marcus Johansson. The team trades forward Brooks Laich, defenseman Connor Carrick, and a second-round pick to the Maple Leafs for forward Daniel Winnick and a fifth-round pick, freeing up future cap space. However, Larkin gets injured just before the deadline, leading to the Caps trading a first-round pick to the Hurricanes for Eric Staal. Spoiler alert: much like the real-life deadline deal between Carolina and the Rangers involving Staal, this is a massive overpay for a rental who doesn't produce. But that comes later. The team finishes the regular season with 124 points and wins the President's Trophy.
Despite the disappointment of the previous season, Washington is determined to overcome past failures and make a strong comeback. In the playoffs, the Caps still play the Flyers in the first round, and instead of winning six games, they win five games with this improved team. Next, they face the Penguins. Everyone, unfortunately, remembers how this series ended in real life (it still gives me nightmares). But this time feels different. Headlines everywhere ask if the Caps can finally make it past the second round and if they can slay the dragons…
Sadly, this year, they can't. This series goes back and forth, but the Penguins ultimately prevail 2-0 in Game 7 to send the Caps home in the second round. After they win, the Penguins fans go to the National Portrait Gallery steps and chant, "THIS IS OUR HOUSE." Cap fans are even sadder when the Penguins win the Stanley Cup. But this rivalry is about to take a turn.
2016 offseason
As the 2016 offseason begins, the anticipation and eagerness for the upcoming season are palpable. The only significant change from what occurred in real life is that the Caps do not trade for Lars Eller. With Larkin, Kuznetsov, Backstrom, and Jay Beagle, they don't need another center. But with the expansion draft looming, the Caps have decided to go all-in this year.
To that end, the Caps make a massive move when they trade a 2017 first and second-round pick, defenseman Karl Alzner, and forward Marcus Johnanson to the Vancouver Canucks for the Sedin twins (Daniel and Henrik), with the Canucks retaining 50% of the contracts. Canucks fans riot in the streets (where have we seen this before?). However, with these massive moves by the Caps, Larkin becomes frustrated. He’s a fourth-liner here and sees that as not maximizing his potential, so he demands a change of scenery. The Caps oblige by trading him to the Kings for Brayden McNabb and a third-round pick.
In Los Angeles, Larkin becomes the Larkin he is today, so this doesn’t age well. The Caps are selling low on a good young player, which has been known to happen (Chandler Stephenson for a fifth), but with all the young players and depth the Caps have, there isn't any room for him. So here are the lines for next season:
Ovi Backstrom Oshie
D Sedin H Sedin Forsberg
Burakovsky Kuzy Wilson
Winnick Beagle Connolly
Carlson Niskanen
Orlov Mcnabb
Orpik Schmidt
Holtby
Grubauer
Is this the mix that finally gets the Caps to the Promised Land? You’ll have to wait for Part 3 to find out!
Comments