The Washington Capitals are searching long and hard to add a top-nine forward before Monday’s deadline.

Among the names on their radar are believed to be Erik Cole, Curtis Glencross and, to some degree, Joffrey Lupul.

Cole and Glencross are straight-up rentals, and I think that Cole in particular, with his skating ability, is seen by the Caps as a good fit.

Lupul is an interesting proposition since he has three more seasons left, after this one, on his deal at a $5.25 million salary-cap hit. That’s a lot for a guy with a history of injuries. On the other hand, when he’s healthy and on his game, he can be a very productive player.