Mar 1, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Capitals right wing
Eric Fehr(16) skates with the puck in front of Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman
Stephane Robidas(12) in the first period at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Eric Fehr
If the Pittsburgh Penguins are planning to add top-six talent via trade, there’s a strong possibility Brandon Sutter will be on the move. I’ve already touched on this a few times, mainly in an article located here, but Sutter has the most value and will fetch the best return of players that Jim Rutherford would be willing to part ways with. That means they’ll have a void at third-line center.
There isn’t much indication on what the Washington Capitals are planning to do with Fehr, as their focus is obviously on the playoffs at the moment. But, when you consider that they’ll be looking at signing Joel Ward and Mike Green this offseason, it’s possible that Fehr becomes the odd man out.
Eric Fehr finished the 2014-15 regular season with 33 points (19g, 14a). He also exhibits the type of possession numbers you’d like to see from your third-line center with a 5v5 corsi-for percentage of 50.4 while taking 34.5% of his faceoffs in the defensive zone. And, unlike Sutter, he led his team in shot suppression statistics while killing penalties.
If Fehr decides to test free agency, he’s a perfect fit for what the Pittsburgh Penguins will need in the event that Brandon Sutter gets traded. He’ll require a raise from his $1.5 million that he’s currently making, but he’s also only 29 and can be effective on a multi-year deal.