Troy Brouwer boasts NHL experience beyond his years. He won the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks last season and dealt with defeat a couple months ago to the eventual Western Conference-champion Canucks.
In a conference call Monday, Brouwer – whom the Caps traded for Friday night – praised his new team for having a lot of talent and skill but didn’t mince words about what needs to improve.
“The only weakness is they just need to get over that hump in the playoffs,” he said.
The 25-year-old gritty winger hopes to be part of solving that problem, perhaps even as a leader because of how much he has experienced in his career.
“There’s no boundary on leadership age,” Brouwer said, adding that he doesn’t need to wear a “C” or “A” on his chest to provide some of that. “I’d rather just go out and play hard and lead by example and pitch in when I need to pitch in.”
Like general manager George McPhee, Brouwer isn’t concerned with his restricted free agent status
“They are interested in signing me, otherwise they wouldn’t have traded a first-round pick for me,” he said. “I have no doubts in my mind right know that we will be able to work out a deal, quickly I think.”
