Haman-Aktell came to North America last season and sept most of the year in the AHL, where he had 11 points (2G / 9A) in 55 games with the Hershey Bears. He did appear in six games with the Capitals but will likely start 2024-25 in the AHL again.
Smallman was a fifth-round pick in 2015 and has yet to appear in an NHL game. He spent the last two years in the Avalanche organization, where he had 25 goals and 22 assists (47 points) in 114 combined AHL games. He'll start 2025 in Hershey (AHL).
Schueneman spent the entire 2024 season with the Colorado Eagles (AHL), scoring four goals with 18 assists (22 points) in 64 games. Expect him to report to Springfield (AHL) to start the 2025 season.
Leason had 11 goals and 22 points in 68 games with Anaheim in 2023-24 and earned himself a one-year contract extension on Monday. The 25-year-old towering defenseman is entering his fourth NHL season and has 20 goals, 37 points and 32 PIMs in 158 games played.
Beauvillier dressed for three separate teams (NSH, CHI, VAN) in 2023-24 and earned himself a one-year contract worth $1,250,000 AAV with Pittsburgh. The 27-year-old failed to find a home last season, picking up five goals, 17 points, eight PIMs and a -8 plus/minus in 60 games between the three teams.
Duhaime will join his third team in two seasons after Washington signed the bottom-six winger to a two-year deal worth $3.7 million ($1.85M AAV). The 27-year-old is in his fifth NHL season and had five goals and 13 points in 80 games between Minnesota and Colorado in 2023-24.
Washington continued to shape their brand new looking defensive unit on Monday as they signed Matt Roy to a six-year deal worth $34.5 million ($5.75M AAV). The 29-year-old completed his third straight season with mid 20's points in 2023-24 as he ended the season with five goals and 25 points in 81 games played.
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.
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.
Minnesota completed a minor move on Friday as Adam Beckman has been moved to New Jersey for Graeme Clarke. Clarke is a 23-year-old right-winger who was New Jersey's 2019 third-round pick (80th overall) and made his NHL debut in 2023-24, failing to pick up a point in three games played.
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.
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.
