Chychrun's trade requests out of Ottawa have finally been answered as the Senators agreed to trade the 26-year-old defenseman to Washington for Nick Jensen and a 2026 3rd Round Pick. Chychrun joins his third NHL team in nine years after completing his first full 82-game campaign in 2023-24 and having 14 goals and 41 points.
McMichael took a massive step forward with his game in 2023-24 after Niklas Backstrom was ruled out for the season and earned himself a two-year contract extension worth $4.2 million ($2.1M AAV). The 23-year-old averaged 5:21 TOI/GP more than his previous career high last season which led to his 18 goals and 33 points in 80 games played.
After helping Hershey successfully win the Calder Cup in 2023-24, Ethen Frank has earned himself a two-year deal worth $1.55 million ($775K AAV). The 26-year-old is entering his third AHL season after joining Hersey straight from Western Michigan University (NCAA) and had 29 goals and 47 points in 64 games with Hersey last season.
At 28-year-old, Priskie has yet to make his NHL debut but has earned himself a one-year, two-way contract with Washington on Monday. The offensively gifted defenseman is coming off a Calder Cup-winning season with Hershey (AHL) and had eight goals and 34 points in 69 games played.
Gibson spent his first professional season playing 42 games with South Carolina (ECHL) in 2023-24 and has earned himself a one-year, two-way contract with the Capitals. The 25-year-old will add some goaltending depth to the Capitals after he produced a 2.56 GAA and .899 SV% in 42 games with South Carolina after graduating from Harvard after three successful seasons.
Just days after moving on from Darcy Kuemper, the Washington Capitals have completed their impressive goaltending tandem by adding Logan Thompson from Vegas for a 2024 3rd Round Pick and a 2025 3rd Round Pick. The 27-year-old spent three full seasons with Vegas and went 25-14-5 in 2023-24 with a 2.70 GAA, .908 SV% and 1 shutout while mostly backing up Adin Hill.
Mangiapane had a breakout campaign in 2022, scoring 35 goals with 55 points, earning him a three-year contract with a $5.8M AAV cap-hit. He failed to find that same success in 2023 and 2024, combining for less goals (31) and 52 assists (83 points) in 157 games. Entering the final year of that deal, the Capitals are banking on another big contract year season from the 28-year-old winger.
Washington got itself a new centre on Wednesday as it made a one-for-one trade with Los Angeles to acquire Pierre-Luc Dubois for goaltender Darcy Kuemper. Dubois is in the second year of an eight-year, $68 million contract that he signed in June of 2023. The 25-year-old had the worst full season of his eight-year career in 2023-24, with 16 goals and 40 points in 82 games played.
Bear was a late-season signing for the Capitals making his debut at the end of December, but did not finish the campaign after entering the NHLPA player assistance program in late March. The 26-year-old defenseman scored four points (1G / 3A) while averaging 14:54 time-on-ice in 24 games this season.
After losing their first game of the series on Saturday, the Golden Knights are still in a favourable position with a 2-1 series lead and will turn to Thompson between the pipes on Monday for game four. Thompson was sensational in game three, saving 43 of 46 shots (.935 SV%), including countless breakaways and odd-man rushes in the eventual 3-2 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars. The Golden Knights enter game four as +111 road underdogs.
van Riemsdyk played 3:27 TOI before leaving Game 3 with an upper-body injury that he suffered on a massive hit from Matt Rempe, which was called for interference. It was a huge in-game blow for the Capitals, who were already without Rasmus Sandin, Nick Jensen, and Vincent Iorio on the blueline.
Sandin has been out since April 7th due to an upper-body injury but is close to returning and was a game-time decision for Game 3 on Friday vs. New York. The 24-year-old will make a welcome return if and when he is able to suit up after he posted career highs in points (23), games played (68) and SOG (79) while averaging 21:07 TOI per game.
With Washington down 2-0 they will turn back to Charlie Lindgren on Friday for Game 3 at home. The 30-year-old has allowed four goals in each of the Capitals' losses to start the playoffs and will look to build off his .864 SV%. He'll attempt to slow down the New York Rangers on Friday, who finished the regular season with the leagues best record and were seventh in the NHL in goals per game (3.39).
