Caps decline. Nothing to do with the actual value here, but Dowd is far to important to the Caps and defense is not a need as they are pretty set (except potentially a vet D at or close to league minimum).

Caps say no, I like Girard but they are set on D and I do not expect them to trade Dowd

seems like a waste to mvoe girard for a 4th line center and a middle pick. He's more valuable to us on the back end. that orielly deal is too long as well, you're paying him 5 mil till he's 37 and he barely produced this year. I'd like to bring him back and i think 5 mil is probily fine but for a year or 2 after that he just starts to hold us back. Plus with kane and nichuskin you can have a little weaker center and still get lots of production