Before Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom played for the Washington Capitals, Peter Bondra was statistically the best player in the franchise’s history. Selected in the eighth round (156th overall) of the 1990 NHL Entry Draft, he was a hidden gem in a class that produced many substantial players. Some of the other names in that 1990 Draft included Owen Nolan (Quebec Nordiques), Jaromir Jagr (Pittsburgh Penguins), Keith Tkachuk (Winnipeg Jets), Martin Brodeur (New Jersey Devils), and Sergei Zubov (New York Rangers), among others.
Bondra played parts of 14 seasons in D.C. and had many highlights during his tenure there. He accomplished 70 or more points on six occasions. His best season happened in 1992-93 when he tallied 85 points in 83 games (37 goals and 48 assists). He accomplished seasons of at least 30 goals on nine occasions, and the most goals he ever got in a single campaign was 52 in both the 1995-96 and 1997-98 seasons. He was a face of the organization and was beloved by Capitals fans. Like in the case of many players throughout their careers, eventually, it is time to say goodbye. That time came between Washington and Bondra during the 2003-04 season.
The Trade With Ottawa
The Capitals were going in a different direction in the early 2000s. They were selling off parts to prepare for a new era in franchise history (which became the Ovechkin Era). The 2003-04 NHL season saw Washington general manager George McPhee sell off many crucial players on the team. Robert Lang led the team that season with 74 points and was dealt to the Detroit Red Wings. Jagr, who had spent parts of a few seasons with the Capitals after being in Pittsburgh, was traded to the Rangers. Longtime defenseman Sergei Gonchar was sent to the Boston Bruins, and winger Mike Grier was moved to the Buffalo Sabres.
Related: Revisiting the Capitals’ Disastrous Jagr Trade
The time also came for Bondra to leave Washington. He was sent to the Ottawa Senators for Brooks Laich and a second-round pick in the 2005 Draft. Considering how pivotal he was to the club, it was tough to see a talent like Bondra go, but D.C. was getting another player who would have a significant career for them in his own way.
Laich’s Time in Washington
Laich was drafted by the Senators in the sixth round (193rd overall) of the 2001 NHL Draft. He only suited up for one NHL game with the Senators when he was dealt to Washington. He played in four NHL games with the Capitals for the rest of the 2003-04 campaign, and he got an assist in that span.
While it was not evident immediately, Laich eventually became a solid complementary scorer during a good portion of the Ovechkin Era. He became a nice offensive contributor and appeared to be a good fit for the player and team. During Laich’s time in Washington, he produced the following numbers:
- 2003-04: one assist in four games
- 2005-06: seven goals and 14 assists for 21 points in 73 games
- 2006-07: eight goals and 10 assists for 18 points in 73 games
- 2007-08: 21 goals and 16 assists for 37 points in 82 games
- 2008-09: 23 goals and 30 assists for 53 points in 82 games
- 2009-10: 25 goals and 34 assists for 59 points in 78 games
- 2010-11: 16 goals and 32 assists for 48 points in 82 games
- 2011-12: 16 goals and 25 assists for 41 points in 82 games
- 2012-13: one goal and three assists for four points in nine games
- 2013-14: eight goals and seven assists for 15 points in 51 games
- 2014-15: seven goals and 13 assists for 20 points in 66 games
- 2015-16: one goal and six assists for seven points in 60 games
In addition to his regular season stats, Laich also accrued 32 points in 65 playoff games with the Capitals (10 goals and 22 assists).
Laich left Washington when he was dealt to Toronto. He was a Leaf for the rest of the 2015-16 NHL season before finishing his pro career with the Los Angeles Kings in the 2017-18 campaign. In total, Laich played in 776 NHL games. He posted 134 goals and 198 assists for 332 points in that span.
Capitals Won Their Part of the Trade
When the Bondra-Laich trade originally went down, there were probably fans who were not happy with what the Capitals got in return. However, Laich proved to be a significant player during his time in D.C., which made the Caps a more dangerous team. The organization respected him, so he was kept around for so long. Ottawa did not win this trade as Bondra was only a Senator for the rest of the 2003-04 season. If the Senators had kept Bondra around for seasons after that, they could have won the deal. However, Bondra left Ottawa and signed an agreement with the Atlanta Thrashers for the 2005-06 season. He then finished his career after 2006-07 when he was a member of the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Capitals were able to get the most out of Bondra before it became close for him to retire. They shipped him out and got a return that grew into a better acquisition as Laich got more seasons under his belt. They got the best of both players, while Ottawa did not even get to enjoy watching Bondra play for them for a whole season.
