It was just under two weeks ago that Scott Hannan and Tomas Fleischmann switched teams thanks to a relatively rare NHL December trade. Hannan, a defenseman, came east to Washington and Fleischmann went west to Colorado. Tonight the two get to see their former teams when the Caps and Avalanche meet at Verizon Center.
“It’s a little bit different being so soon after [the trade],” said Hannan, who has appeared in four games with Washington since that Nov. 30 deal. “When it happens in the summer you get a few months and a whole training camp with guys. It’ll be a little bit different this time.”
Couldn’t catch up with Fleischmann this morning since his team was skating at Verizon Center after getting in late last night after a 4-2 win in Atlanta. But he’s doing well so far with the Avalanche – a goal and three assists in four games. Fleischmann potted his first goal with his new team last night against the Thrashers and had a beautiful assist on a behind-the-goal pass to teammate Milan Hedjuk in the third period that broke a 2-2 tie.
“I’m sure he’s going to be wanting to score pretty bad tonight,” said former Caps forward Eric Fehr, a longtime teammate of Fleischmann’s in Washington and in the minors with AHL Hershey. “He’s playing pretty well. I’ve watched a few of his games. He’s gone to the net hard and is making some good plays. He’s got some pretty good players to play with as well.”
Things haven’t been going that well for Hannan or Fleischmann’s teams, of course. The Caps are 0-3-1 since Hannan arrived. And Friday’s victory was Colorado’s first since the trade. The Avalanche are 1-1-2 and finishing a five-game road trip through the Southeast Division.
“It’d be nice to get in the win column here,” Hannan said. “It’s too long coming.”
Caps coach Bruce Boudreau had plenty of good things to say about Fleischmann after the trade. He coached him in Hershey and in Washington, after all, winning a championship with him in the minors. But he was ready to put all that aside – at least for today. Would it be odd coaching against Fleischmann?
“Love the kid, but he’s not on our team any more,” Boudreau said. “So it won’t be tough.”
No time for sentiment in this sport, I guess. Can’t blame Boudreau for that. His team needs a win and playing a Western Conference opponent on the second leg of a back-to-back when your team is rested is about as good an opportunity as you’ll have. The Denver Post says Craig Anderson is expected to again be in goal for the Avalanche, a team that is built in Washington’s mold: young, fast, aggressive. No one knows that better than Hannan.
“They’re a team that has a lot of speed up front, they move the puck. They get it in deep,” Hannan said. “If you can try and take away their time and space, eliminate some of that speed…[But] a lot of it in this game is more how you play. If you’re playing in your own end too long most of the time that’s trouble.”
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