Capitals Martin Erat Requests A Trade Again

“I want to be traded. We’ll see how it goes,” Erat said following Monday’s practice in Arlington. “Since day one, I didn’t get the chance here. I got traded here to be a top-six player but never got the chance, never played more than 15 minutes in here, and it’s time for me to move on.”

“It was long coming, starting from the training camp. I never get any chance, any look,” Erat said. “It’s time for me to go.”

Erat had asked GM George McPhee back in October for a trade. Erat has a full no-movement clause, but it’s not expected to be a big problem. He has been “flexible” and “accommodating” according to McPhee on what teams he’d be willing to go to. McPhee said he’s been talking to some teams.

“We’ve always told our players, and our policy for 15 years or so, if you don’t feel like you fit in, if you feel like it’d be better for your career to be someplace else, let us know and we’ll try to accommodate you,” McPhee said. “I admire him for it. He’s been professional, he came in and he’s not pointing fingers or anything like that. He said, ‘These things happen and it’s not working out for me. I’d like an opportunity someplace else.’ No promises on when it happens. We’ll see how long it takes.”