The Washington Capitals had the Eastern Conference’s best record during the 2024-25 season, surprising many around the league with the significant improvement they showed during Spencer Carbery’s second year behind the bench. Much of the rise was fueled by several offseason additions that restored depth to what was previously a very shallow roster.
“This is probably the last kick at the can with Ovi, most likely, so I think that will inform their summer as well,” Johnston told Julian McKenzie on The Chris Johnston Show. “I think you’re going to see them be pretty aggressive and see what they can get done on the trade market.”
Last summer, the Capitals added Pierre-Luc Dubois, Andrew Mangiapane, Logan Thompson, and Jakob Chychrun through four separate trades. The team mostly avoided handing out large deals in free agency and could take a similar approach this year, with not many difference-makers available at their price range and contracts expected to be very expensive given the rising salary cap.
According to PuckPedia, the Capitals currently have $9.375 million in cap space, with 20 out of 23 roster spots on their NHL roster filled for next season.
“I think that they’ve shown that they’re willing to think outside the box and make some deals,” Johnston said. “They would be a team, I think you could see getting involved in the trade market because the truth is, it’s not the deepest free agent class.”
In alignment with Johnston’s assertion, Capitals general manager Chris Patrick certainly did not rule out making a big move during his postseason media availability.
“We will definitely evaluate everything,” Patrick said. “I think a big hack this summer could potentially be like a really big hack. With a rising cap environment, a lot of teams that are looking to spend — the prices, I think we saw it at the trade deadline with the prices going up, I think it could follow the same path here in free agency. We’ll see what we have available to spend, and hopefully we can be competitive in some of that stuff if we think it’s the right fit.”
He also noted the team would consider trading their 2025 first-round pick (27th overall) in the right deal.
“Yeah, I think you have to be open to all options…we’ll try to be creative with what we can do,” he said.
There are already several players rumored to be available via trade this offseason, and many would align with the Capitals’ goal of progressing as a team while still prioritizing youth. High-scoring, young forwards like Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson, Buffalo’s JJ Peterka, Minnesota’s Marco Rossi, Boston’s Morgan Geekie, and even Dallas’ Jason Robertson are all rumored to have some level of availability.
Patrick named two priorities for the club this summer: the team’s third line and the addition of a high-skill player. Washington’s third line was a noticeable weak spot throughout the regular season and playoffs, even after Lars Eller was reacquired in November. However, Patrick noted the Caps could fill that role internally by moving Connor McMichael back to his natural center position, or Hendrix Lapierre could win the spot out of training camp.
NHL rumors and news will continue to pick up steam after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers. The 2025 NHL Draft is set to start on June 27, and free agency is set to open on July 1.
