During Friday's first round of the 2011 NHL Draft, the Washington Capitals decided to trade their first pick - the 26th overall - to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for forward Troy Brouwer. Brouwer's acquisition is a "win now" move for the Caps, but majority owner Ted Leonsis admitted on his personal blog Monday that it won't be the only one.
On Brouwer's acquisition:
I endorse our trade at the draft. I thought we were smart at this time to make this move as we have plenty of young prospects and young players fighting to make the team.
On what lies ahead:
We now move on to free agency. We want to keep some players. We want to sign some players. Wish us well in all of our pursuits.
And then don't be surprised if you see some trades. It takes two to tango. We want to change and improve. We are getting ready for a new season which is fast approaching.
It seems as though Leonsis understands that his team needs to improve if they have a chance of finally breaking through. Last summer, the Caps elected to not make any blockbuster moves during free agency, with the only new player making an impact being Matt Hendricks, who made the Caps during training camp. Instead, the Caps made major moves during the season and at the trade deadline, acquiring Scott Hannan, Marco Sturm, Jason Arnott and Dennis Wideman. That doesn't look to be the case this summer.