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Caps will ‘err on the side of caution’ as trade deadline approaches

2014 NHL Draft - Rounds 2-7

2014 NHL Draft - Rounds 2-7

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Even if the Washington Capitals do indeed need a “piece or two” to be a threat in the playoffs -- that’s what coach Barry Trotz said recently, at least -- it doesn’t sound like GM Brian MacLellan is going to aggressively try to add that piece or two via trade.

Instead, per Alex Prewitt of the Washington Post, MacLellan aims to stay patient and give the team’s youngsters time to develop into those pieces.

“I think we’re going to err on the side of caution on developing these guys,” said MacLellan, referring to the likes of Andre Burakovsky, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Tom Wilson.

“We like them. We’re doing well with them. So I don’t think we’re going to be too assertive or too aggressive with moving any of them out or changing the chemistry of our team.”

For the record, this isn’t a case of a GM and a coach failing to see eye-to-eye. Like MacLellan, Trotz cited the “need to have our young guys continue to develop,” and the coach recognizes the importance of thinking long-term.

Also, despite what the GM said above, the Caps could still be active in the trade market leading up to the March 2 deadline. MacLellan hasn’t ruled that out. It just doesn’t sound like it’ll be a blockbuster (think Ryan O’Reilly) if a deal does happen.

Oh, and by the way, MacLellan also stated the obvious today: