Welcome, Martin Erat!
Like other Caps fans, my jaw hit the floor when I heard the Caps traded highly-touted prospect Filip Forsberg for two guys I haven’t heard of. Because really, who in this town pays attention to Nashville? And though 31-year-old Martin Erat only has four goals this season for a Predators team that’s also on the playoff bubble, he’s consistently put up 50 or so points each of the last eight seasons. That means Erat, who was traded with Michael Latta to the Capitals for Forsberg on Wednesday, is clearly a player the Caps acquired to make a playoff push, and not a throw-in-the-towel move like many have suggested in debates leading up to the trade deadline. He’ll wear No. 10.
He doesn’t come cheap, though, with a $4,500,000 cap-hit through 2014-15. (So I guess this means the Caps won’t be re-signing Mike Ribeiro. It’s been real, Ribz!)
Erat, who is from the Czech Republic, looks like Carson from Queer Eye For The Straight Guy:
Either way, I can see there being an Erat wig night at Verizon Center any day now.
Welcome to Caps Martin Erat )))
— Alex Ovechkin (@ovi8) April 3, 2013
Excited to add Martin Erat to the #Caps lineup
— Troy Brouwer (@tbrouwer20) April 3, 2013
Erat also played with Joel Ward for a few seasons in Nashville. Someone should tell him:
Dam #fantasybaseball got me watching some foolish baseball games!
— Joel Ward (@JRandalWard42) April 4, 2013
Now let’s watch some highlights of Martin Erat, moves we’re expecting out of him for the next few seasons:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRYIMkHqDlA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZLesUSLc_g