ST. PAUL — The Washington Capitals completed their trade for Chicago Blackhawks right wing Troy Brouwer before the 2011 NHL Draft began. So why wait until past the 20th pick to announce the deal?
"Just a little drama, I guess," he said.
The Washington Capitals acquired right wing Brouwer from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for the 26th overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, which turned out to be LW Phillip Danault of Victoriaville (QMJHL).
The Capitals have traditionally held onto their top selections, building an impressive cadre of prospects. But McPhee said that this draft didn't offer the same caliber of young talent as previous drafts did with players like Karl Alzner and Evgeny Kuznetsov, and thus he was more willing to part with a first-rounder this season.
Especially with Brouwer coming back to the Capitals. A Stanley Cup champion with Chicago and a restricted free agent, the 25-year-old Brouwer had 17 goals and a career-high 19 assists for 36 points in 79 regular-season games in 2010-11. He hits, he's able to play both wings and he can play up and down the lineup.
Here's McPhee on bringing Brouwer to Washington.