ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have acquired right wing Martin Erat and minor leaguer Michael Latta from the Nashville Predators for 2012 first-round draft pick Filip Forsberg.
Erat leads the Predators with 17 assists and is tied for the first on the club with 21 points this season. He's played all 723 of his NHL games with Nashville, and ranks second in team history with 163 goals and 318 assists.
The Capitals are hoping for a boost to their playoff hopes; they stand in 10th in the Eastern Conference, two points away from eighth.
The Predators, who have made the playoffs seven of the last eight seasons, are on the edge of the Western Conference playoff picture. In Forsberg, they get an 18-year-old forward considered a possible star-in-waiting.
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