Caps trade for Marcus Johansson, part with Sprong originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
The Capitals acquired forward Marcus Johansson from the Seattle Kraken. Elliotte Friedman was the first to report the deal that has now been made official by the team.
In exchange for Johansson, the Capitals will send Daniel Sprong, a 2022 fourth-round pick and a 2023 sixth-round pick to the Kraken. In addition, Seattle will retain 50% of Johansson’s contract.
With offensive depth being an area of need, general manager Brian MacLellan looked to a former Capitals player to fill that hole. The 31-year-old Johansson has six goals and 17 assists in 51 games this season with the Kraken. He looks to slot in as a middle-six winger, but can also play center.
Washington has struggled to find consistency from its second and third lines this season. Injuries have kept several key players — such as Anthony Mantha, T.J. Oshie and Nicklas Backstrom — in and out of the lineup. Their absences have led to a rotating door of wingers for Lars Eller on the third line. The challenge will be to find a trio that clicks before the postseason. Johansson can also step in at center if there is an injury down the middle and provides insurance for the continued health concerns to the middle-six.Johansson was a first-round draft pick of the Capitals in 2009 and spent the first seven years of his NHL career in Washington, playing in 501 games with 102 goals and 188 assists. His most notable moment came in the first round of the 2017 postseason when he scored an overtime series-clinching goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Johansson was traded in the 2017 offseason and thus missed the team’s run to the Stanley Cup in 2018. Since then, he has played for the New Jersey Devils, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild and finally the Kraken.
The acquisition of Johansson is the first move for Washington for the 2022 trade deadline. The deadline for all trades is 3 p.m. Monday.
