Return to site

Washington Capitals Trade Marcus Johansson to New Jersey

David Baucom

broken image

A retired rear admiral (RADM) with the United States Navy, David F. Baucom held numerous positions within the military branch during his 34 years of service, including White House military aide and stock control officer aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt. While stationed in Washington, DC, David Baucom became a fan of the National Hockey League's (NHL) Washington Capitals.

The Capitals were forced to make some tough decisions in the 2017 offseason in regard to their roster because the team had several pending free agents due for a raise. Some analysts suggested that the team might have to trade a player or two to stay under the salary cap, and this possibility became more likely once the Capitals announced the team had re-signed Evgeny Kuznetsov to an eight-year contract extension worth an annual average of $7.8 million per season. Shortly after announcing the contract, the Capitals dealt veteran forward Marcus Johansson to the New Jersey Devils for a second- and third-round draft pick in 2018.

A 26-year-old native of Landskrona, Sweden, Johansson was originally drafted by the Capitals in the first round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He played 501 regular season games with the team and recorded 290 points. He had a breakout campaign in 2016-17, scoring a career-high 24 goals and accumulating a career-high 58 points.