ESPN NHL

Now that scorer Peter Bondra has been acquired by the Ottawa Senators, who are already the NHL's highest-scoring team with an average of 3.32 goals per game, the trade dominoes should start falling more rapidly after earlier sporadic moves by Tampa Bay (acquiring defenseman Darryl Sydor), the New York Rangers (right winger Jaromir Jagr) and Philadelphia (goalie Sean Burke).

Washington Capitals general manager George McPhee and owner Ted Leonsis took their time to squeeze as much as they could get for Bondra (good prospect Brooks Laich and a 2004 second-round draft pick), so they'll no doubt be selling off Sergei Gonchar to the highest bidder next.

Gonchar leads NHL defensemen in scoring with 44 points and recently returned after missing three weeks with a shoulder injury. The Caps can't take a chance on Gonchar reinjuring his shoulder and losing their opportunity to shed more salary following the departures of Bondra, Jagr and Steve Konowalchuk (traded to the Avalanche in November).

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