Could the Capitals trade for Patrick Kane? Tear it down and rebuild? Mailbag, Part 2

The Washington Capitals' mailbag is back. In Part 1 of this month's mailbags, I covered Anthony Mantha's consistency, Evgeny Kuznetsov's season to date, the team's faceoff struggles, Capital One Arena renovations and much more. Today, Kevin E. asks about the possibility of the Caps trading for Patrick Kane and the possible ground-up rebuild in D.C.

The Blackhawks are struggling and are in the bottom of the standings. Kane is available and would be a good addition to the Blackhawks' top-six. The Capitals are not going to rebuild, but they might be willing to do so if they get close to a playoff spot. The next few months will determine the next move of GM Brian MacLellan. Mark Lazerus' piece on rebuilding the Caps is worth reading. He suggests that it worked for the team 18 years ago. It's not a sure thing. If the Capitals get closer to playoff place, they will consider trading players. They might also consider adding players without trading prospects.

The Ovi record chase is going to impact the way the Capitals are handled and built over the next few years. The goal is to remain competitive and entertaining, then catch fire down the stretch and make another run. If that doesn't happen, it's going be boring.