The name of Washington Capitals veteran Mike Green continues to come up in trade speculation. He's a 29-year-old puck-moving defenseman - a position and skill set currently in extremely high demand - and pending free agent at the conclusion of this season. He has played well so far this year, garnering 11 points in 14 games, albeit while seeing limited minutes on a third defensive pairing.
The idea of his moving on from Washington becomes likelier by the day, not just because of the interest from other organizations in acquiring his services or his strong play, but also because of the Capitals' stated desire to evaluate their own guys and move forward with those young enough and talented enough to form a strong core.
"I think we need to evaluate where our team's at first of all," Capitals GM Brian MacLellan said Thursday, according to a report from Alex Prewitt of The Washington Post. "We've been inconsistent so far. I like the direction we're going. As we experience more success, I think we'll be better able to evaluate how we're moving forward with players."
That evaluation period may last all 82 games; it may last significantly less. Especially for a player like Green who, with the impressive play of John Carlson, Karl Anzer, Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik along the Washington blueline this season, he has become a somewhat unnecessary and possibly valuable trade piece.
"Mike Green is a veteran puck-moving defenseman with a significant upside, on a team whose stacked blue line prevents them from taking full advantage of him," wrote Rob Vollman of ESPN. "Finding a trading partner with both a possession-oriented shutdown forward and cap space to spare could be the perfect way for GM Brian MacLellan to create a win-win situation that benefits both teams -- and Green himself."
Detroit, Minnesota and New Jersey - who could all use a puck-moving defenseman - are among a handful of teams that could, and should, show interest in acquiring Green.
MacLellan, responding to questions about Green's place on the team, sounded like a man who admires Green's scoring touch at the same time as he questions the value of said skill set.
"Yeah he's had a good year," he said, according to The Post. "Coming into the year, I think he had an off-year last year. I think we're probably both going through an evaluation is he comfortable with his role, does he want to stay and play in that role, and are we comfortable with him in that role he's playing in now?"
If Green isn't sent packing soon, MacLellan laid out the questions that he - and Green - will be forced to answer about their potential relationship moving forward.
"Is it going to work for us as an organization, as a team, are we going to have success with Mike Green playing where he's playing and doing what he's doing, and is that a big part of our team moving forward? Just as he needs to evaluate, do I like this coach, do I like this situation, am I comfortable here? I think we're both going through an evaluation period and we'll come to a decision at some point."
