Photo credit: BridgetDS

Nothing like skating on the best real estate in the NHL in only your 9th ever NHL game to ratchet up expectations. Enough that some question if MJ90 should even be in the NHL. The answer is: of course he should. How else will the Caps know what moves to make in April?

And make no mistake, they will have to make a move because even with all the patience in the world, MJ90 is probably not the answer for the second pivot slot this year. And that’s OK. Tomas Fleischmann, who was recently benched asked to take his turn sitting out, isn’t either. Neither is Matheiu Perreault (sorry Nicci), Cody Eakin (again, sorry Nicci) or anyone else currently in the Caps organization. Patience (tålamod), not rash thinking, is what’s important.

For one, the organization will not know for sure where he ultimately belongs unless he’s playing at the NHL level. The twelve minutes a night he is playing, as soft as they may be,  are giving the Caps the chance to evaluate his talent and adjustment to the North American game. At times he has played well and others he has played like a rookie. And with only 9 games under his belt, that should be expected.

Secondly, aside from Brad Richards, only a handful of pending UFA centers playing 30+ games and 12+ min TOI last year could even be considered Top 6 forwards:

• Brad Richards
• Eric Belanger
• Brendon Morrisson
• Tim Connolly
• Marcel Goc
• Vernon Fiddler
• Mike Modano

Tough to get your hopes up that a deadline deal – without giving up something major in return – is just a phone call away. Maybe that’s why GMGM felt compelled to let it be known if another general manager called about Semyon Varlamov, Michal Neuvirth or Braden Holtby his response would be, “We’re not trading any of them.”

The deals made in April will be critical, so having a little patience with MJ90 will go a long way in making sure that when a deal is made, it’s the absolute right one for the Cup run.