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The Martin Erat experience in Washington has come to an end.
One year after acquiring him in a deadline deal from the Nashville Predators for former first-round pick Filip Forsberg, Erat has been traded to the Phoenix Coyotes, along with John Mitchell, in exchange for defenseman Rostislav Klesla, Chris Brown, and a fourth-round draft pick.
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Erat's time in Washington never went according to plan for the Capitals as he scored just two goals in 62 games and was at times relegated to fourth-line duty after he consistently scored between 15 and 20 goals in each of the previous eight seasons.
Earlier this season he requested a trade out of Washington.
Phoenix is still in the hunt for a playoff spot in the Western Conference and was looking for some more offense up front. Whether or not Erat can regain at least some of the form he had shown in Nashville remains to be seen, but given the price they paid it's a low-risk gamble to find out.
Klesla, 31, has appeared in just 25 games for the Coyotes this season and was on waivers earlier in the year.
Brown was Phoenix's second-round pick in 2009. In 11 NHL games he has yet to record a point, but has scored 43 goals in two years in the American Hockey League.
It's the second trade each team made on Tuesday as Washington had previously acquired Dustin Penner from the Anaheim Ducks, while Phoenix sent defenseman David Rundblad to the Chicago Blackhawks for a draft pick.