ARNOTT NOW A CAP
The Washington Capitals acquired center Jason Arnott from the New Jersey Devils for forward David Steckel and a second-round pick in the 2012 draft.
What does it give the Washington Capitals
Arnott is the second-line center the Capitals needed. He's a right-handed shooter who can play on the point of the power play and provide key secondary scoring. He's in the final year of his contract, so this might be a pure rental situation for Washington. He will likely slot in between Nicklas Backstrom and Marcus Johansson at center, and could even see time on the point of the power play (if required). Losing Steckel hurts Washington's face-off situation a bit, but they have enough bottom-six forwards to cover for Steckel's departure. The fact Washington added a second rounder to get this deal done suggests they really wanted their man.
What does it give the New Jersey Devils
The Devils aren't giving up on the season, so they decided to add a body for the here and now--as well as a key future asset. Steckel's main responsibility will be to win face-offs, which has always been a big deal for any Jacques Lemaire/Devils squad. He'll also likely fill a third-line role. Arnott's departure leaves a hole on the top two lines, but perhaps rookie Jacob Josefson can fill in the rest of the way. Dainius Zubrus is another option to move to center. Arnott's offense may also be replaced when/if Zach Parise returns from injury. The key to the deal for the future is the second rounder, but New Jersey wants to keep the roll going this year.
Fantasy impact
