The Missing Piece

Following a four-point night in his first game as a Capital, could Mikhail Grabovski be Washington’s long-term solution to its biggest weakness?

By Marcus White

 

Richard Wolowicz / Getty Images

Mikhail Grabovski, signed this offseason following his amnesty buyout with the Toronto Maple Leafs, started his career as a Capital with a bang. Tallying the first opening night hat-trick in the Capital’s history and adding an assist, Grabovski was a force against the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night.

Despite losing 6-4, the Capitals should be very happy with their results from Tuesday, as it appears they may have found the answer to their most pressing need.

Washington has had a phenomenal top-end center for quite some time in Nicklas Backstrom. But the team really hasn’t had much help down the middle on its second line. The Caps have tried Brooks Laich in that role, but he wasn’t as consistent as they would’ve liked. Nor was former Capital Matthieu Perrault, who was shipped to Anaheim earlier this week.

Mike Ribeiro looked as if he could’ve been the solution during the lockout-shortened regular season last year, but he had an underwhelming performance in the postseason, scoring only two points in Washington’s seven-game Eastern Conference Quarterfinals loss to the New York Rangers. Ribeiro signed a four-year deal with the Phoenix Coyotes this summer, leaving a hole at center on Washington’s second line.

Following his buyout from the Leafs, the Capitals seemed like a natural fit for Grabovski. The team didn’t have a great amount of salary cap space, and Grabovski was looking for a “make-good” deal, where he’d have the chance to play for a bigger contract next summer. After a strong preseason and an even more impressive regular season debut, it’s so far, so good for the Capitals and Grabovski.

It’s ultimately too early to tell whether Grabovski is the solution going forward. That’ll largely depend on the performance of Grabovski and the rest of the Capitals in the postseason, and Grabovski’s contract demands this offseason. Like Ribeiro, the Capitals very much run the risk of seeing Grabovski walk this summer in free agency.

But what if he can be the answer for the Capitals this year, and help to bring Washington its first Stanley Cup? The Grabovski experiment will undoubtedly have been a success.