The Washington Capitals have perhaps the most physically gifted player in the league in super star Russian forward, Alexander Ovechkin.
The organization seems to feel he and Nicklas Backstrom, despite their prodigious talents, are a little lonely and, according to the latest NHL trade rumors, are eyeing a small handful of high-quality NHL assets as potential trade deadline additions to help shore up the top-end of their lineup.
"Well, they haven't made themselves heard yet before the trade deadline, but they intend to," reports ESPN's Pierre LeBrun on TSN's Insider Trading, per NicholsOnHockey.com. "They'd like to add a top-6 forward."
Andre Burakovsky has gone from the AHL to a healthy scratch to a member of the top-line in recent days - a spot head coach Barry Trotz is, no doubt, looking to solidify with an outside addition, despite the fact that Burkaovsky has performed admirably when given the opportunity.
"But they have interest in Erik Cole, and in particular believe that Cole's skating ability can really fit in," said LeBrun. "They like Curtis Glencross. They also have looked in on Joffrey Lupul of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Obviously he's not a free agent, so that's a bigger deal, but he's been on their radar as well."
With the Stars still orbiting a postseason berth, Cole's status remains in question. He's an older guy - 36 - slated to become an unrestricted free agent. His current deal carries a cap hit of $4.5 million, meaning there would have to be some type of financial maneuvering if the Caps - who have about $2 million in cap space at the moment - were to bring him in.
He's got 18 goals and 14 assists this season and, despite his advancing age and questionable defense, still brings a gritty, do-it-all toughness to the lineup - he also leads the Stars in hits (114).
Glencross is a name the team has been reportedly sniffing around for several days now. The Caps weren't on his initial list of accepted trade teams, but reports say that list has grown in recent days.
He's another older player at 32, but he's rugged and brings a hard-nosed veteran presence.
Lupul is an attractive option when healthy for his scoring ability - he's just rarely healthy these days. While the Leafs are delving into their sell-off, Lupul probably won't come cheap and has term on his deal. It's an unlikely match.
