While winger Richard Zednik should attract some interest prior to the trade deadline, it's uncertain if the Capitals are buyers or sellers, reports the Washington Post.

GM George McPhee hopes Zednik, who is returning from an injury, can spark the struggling Capitals, who are five points out of the eighth and final spot with 32 games remaining.

"We want to make a playoff push and, if we get healthier, we feel we can do it," McPhee told the Post.

However, if that push loses momentum, McPhee expects to begin fielding calls about Zednik, who's in the final year of a contract that pays him $1.976 million.


"We would like Richard to be part of the future here," McPhee said. "We've always liked the way he plays and the way he competes, but all that will be determined as we move along. It depends on how he performs and what he wants for his future. So it's going to be a mutual decision."

Zednik has received medical clearance from an abdominal injury to resume playing and is expected to be in the lineup Thursday against the Florida Panthers.