Lundqvist in a Caps uniform? Why not? originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
After 15 seasons, the New York Rangers announced Wednesday that they'll be buying out veteran goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, sending Capitals Twitter into a frenzy.
"The Caps should go get him". "He'd be a great fit".
You know what? Do it. If you're the Capitals, why not try and bring Lundqvist to D.C.?
Of course he would look weird in a Caps uniform, but it wouldn't be the first time an aging star switched uniforms late in his career.
Ilya Samsonov is clearly the future, but you need a veteran goaltender to pair with him. Someone with experience and someone you can count on every few games in net at minimum.
There's also the money aspect here, and given the fact that Braden Holtby is likely going to make more money elsewhere, a 38-year-old Lundqvist in theory could give you serious value given a saturated goalie market and what his expected role would be.
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Yes, so much of this comes down to money, and all we're doing at the moment is speculating that the price would be right, but this would be a great short-term fix for the Capitals if it comes to replacing Holtby. The goalie market will be crowded in October. No one knows how those dominoes will fall.
But Vitek Vanecek and Samsonov paired together is too risky, even if cheap, for a team that's in win-now mode. They need the veteran help.
The Capitals also provide a very important opportunity for Lundqvist -- a chance to win a Stanley Cup. He is a winner. He was almost a Stanley Cup champ. The Rangers just fell short in 2014. King Henrik is no less a champion for it. He is forever a legend in New York even if his time there, in large part because of that heavy salary, was over.
That win-now attitude Washington has, paired with still a solid opportunity for Lundqvist to get on the ice and contribute, makes for a match that just might make enough sense even if it takes some time adjusting to the sight of it.
